The pendulum
A straight leg swings up from the hip and flicks at the target: slow, weak and easy to see coming.
What Tori does instead: Knee up first, then the lower leg snaps out.
Kick lesson 1 of 5 White belt Rear leg
Front kick
The simplest kick there is. The knee comes up in front, the lower leg snaps straight out, and the foot comes straight back. Tori kicks with its rear leg and lands the ball of its foot on Uke’s chest plate.
For entertainment only. A robot demo that explains how the kick works. It isn’t training or advice, so don’t try it on anyone. Disclaimer
- Foot speed
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- Impact, est.
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Now demonstrating
Front kick Mae geri
Frame by frame
Tori stops for a moment on each step, and the step’s name shows on the 3D view. The line is the path of Tori’s kicking foot: solid where the foot has been, faint where it is about to go. Switch on Chips and sparks for the full robot show.
Keyboard, with the 3D view focused: Space pause and play, , and . step one frame back or forward, arrow keys turn the camera.
Robot demo for entertainment only. Please don't try it on people, pets or yourself.
At a glance
What the front kick is
Also called Mae geri Ap chagi. Tori stands orthodox, with its left foot in front, and kicks with its rear (right) leg. A left-handed (southpaw) fighter mirrors everything on this page.
- Leg
- Rear leg here (Tori’s right)
- Target
- The middle of the chest plate
- Range
- Medium: about a leg’s length
- Path
- Up to the chamber, then straight out and back
- Chamber
- Knee high in front, foot tucked under it
- Power from
- The hips pushing forward as the knee straightens
- Lands with
- Ball of the foot, toes pulled back
- Stands on
- The front leg, knee slightly bent
Think of the knee as the aim and the lower leg as the shot: the knee points at the target first, and then the foot fires where it points.
Step by step
What Tori does, frame by frame
These are the same steps as the buttons under the 3D view. Freeze Tori on any of them, then turn the camera to look from every side.
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Guard. Fists up, left foot in front, weight spread over both feet.
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Chamber. The rear knee rises high in front and points at the target, with the foot tucked up under it. The weight moves onto the front leg.
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Snap. The hips push forward and the knee straightens, snapping the lower leg out. The ball of the foot lands on the chest plate, toes pulled back.
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Recoil. The lower leg folds straight back to the chamber, as fast as it went out.
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Return. The foot goes back down behind and Tori is in its guard again.
Watch it like a coach
- Camera Side at ½×: the knee rises before the foot moves forward.
- Freeze on Chamber: the knee points at the target and the foot hangs under it.
- Camera Close-up, freeze on Snap: the toes pulled back, so the ball of the foot lands.
Where the power comes from
From the floor to the foot
A kick isn’t thrown by the leg alone. Each link passes the movement on to the next, from the standing foot to the striking one.
Standing foot
Flat on the mat, with the knee slightly bent.
Hips
Push forward into the kick instead of sitting back.
Knee
Lifts and aims first, then straightens.
Foot
Ball of the foot forward, toes back, ankle firm.
Checkpoints
What to look for in the demo
Freeze Tori on Snap and check each of these.
- Knee up first The knee rises before the foot goes out.
- Ball of the foot Toes pulled back at the moment of impact.
- Hips forward They push into the kick, not away from it.
- Soft standing knee A slight bend in the supporting leg.
- Hands up The guard stays up while the leg works.
- Fast recoil The foot returns to the chamber before it goes down.
Common mistakes
How the front kick goes wrong
Robots make these mistakes too, until someone updates their firmware.
Kicking with the toes
The toes take the hit. Even titanium toes complain.
What Tori does instead: Toes pulled back, so the ball of the foot lands.
Leaning back
The upper body tips far back, so the kick pushes Tori away instead of pushing Uke.
What Tori does instead: Only a slight lean, with the hips driving forward.
Dropping the leg
After the kick the leg just falls to the mat, wherever it happens to be.
What Tori does instead: Recoil to the chamber first, then put the foot down.
The foot
Which part of the foot lands
The front kick lands with the pad just behind the toes. Watch it in the Close-up camera, frozen on Snap.
The ball of the foot
- Toes pulled back, so they are out of the way.
- The ball of the foot leads: the firm pad just behind the toes.
- Ankle firm, so the foot doesn’t bend on contact.
- Driven straight in, not flicked upwards.
In a fight (between robots)
How it’s used, and how it’s stopped
Kicks rarely come alone. They are mixed with punches and with other kicks, so each one sets up the next.
Combinations
- 1-front
A jab keeps Uke busy up high while the front kick goes to the middle.
- Front-2
The kicking foot lands forward and the cross follows it in.
- Double
Two front kicks with the same leg, without putting it down in between.
- Front-round
A front kick with one leg, then a roundhouse with the other.
How Uke could stop it
- Step back
The kick travels straight, so a step back takes Uke out of its reach.
- Side step
Off the line, and the foot goes straight past.
- Parry
A low hand brushes the foot aside.
- Check
The knee comes up to cover the middle.
A robot demo, not a class
This page explains how the front kick works so the animation makes sense. It isn’t a martial arts course, and it isn’t self-defense, fitness, medical or safety advice. Tori’s version is simplified and exaggerated for the camera, and robot joints bend in ways yours shouldn’t. Don’t kick anyone. If you want to learn a martial art for real, learn in person from a qualified instructor and check with a doctor first.