Hanashiro Chomo
Good question one with lots of answers.
I’ve probably thrown more than 10 times the front kicks over
the years than all the rest put together.
But a long time ago I observed nobody was using them in kumite [defined
as intra-dojo, amateur sport, to PKA] (long being defined as more than 20+
years). The exception being those who always used them, an exceptional
minority.
By observation I deduced most as white belts got their
shins, ankles and toes blasted enough to mentally loose faith in the front kick
for sparring. Once that was established in their minds they turned to other
alternatives from that point forth. I
don’t believe it was a conscious decision to get scores, just a reaction to
pain learned early and not overcome in subsequent training.
The handful I’ve faced with great front kicks (among my
instructors, or friends or even a student or two) all had incredible discipline
behind their use. Either they were drilled unsparingly, and driven with focus
to nail their opponent when they moved with the front kick, or they were
drilled and drilled in correct technique to overcome the opportunities bad
front kicks present to the opponent. In my experience both schools work, and on
rare occasions are combined reinforcing that point of view.
The reason as beginners we (myself included) got nailed was
mostly we were throwing bad front kicks, with our knees rising as we kicked, or
we were throwing them without opening techniques making it child’s play to nail
them.
Once pain is established in a technique, without careful
groundwork to counter its existence (such as when white belts are sparring
without any knowledge or technique to begin with) avoidance to pain takes place
on both conscious and unconscious levels.
In my efforts to work my students beyond this I took a
several pronged approach. First I discontinued beginners sparring. They have no
technique to talk about and I eventually realized having them spend the time
sparring on increasing their technique was more important. Then at intermediate beginner levels (say
green belt) with the ability to execute technique, they are more likely to do
so successfully in sparring, increasing the level of their art, and the
attendant dings are more easily focused past.
The other detail is there are a heck of a lot of things
called a front kick.
The front kick can be done with the ball of the foot,
several different bare foot versions of the toe kicks, as well as done with the
blade of the foot and with the heel (something my instructor experienced in
Okinawa while wearing Kendo gear for sparring. Some of the Okinawan’s would
blast their front kicks with the heel to try and drop their opponent).
They can be done with the front leg or the back leg, alone
or in combination with other techniques.
They can be directed to the head, the chest and abdomen of
the body, or to the lower body.
There is more than one set of motion with it. It can be a ‘snap’ kick, a ‘thrust’ kick or a ‘pawing’
kick., and even angled so its ½ front and ½ round in its execution. The kick
can even be the return motion of the kick, too.
They can be used as a primary offensive technique or a
secondary offensive technique, a primary defensive or a secondary defensive
technique.
On the whole that’s a lot of things to consider when you
talk about a simple front kick.
Sport versions tend to be to the chest and abdomen. Rarely are they attempted to the head and
the entire range of lower body versions. The head or the armpit (or even the
entire side of the body) because of the great amount of set up technique
require to score (and the dangerous results this kick can bring, too). The back is actively discouraged because of
danger to the kick-ee. Likewise the
lower body versions (the original Okinawan approach) to the groin, the hip
joints, the back thigh, the inner thigh, the knees, the shins, the ankle and
the foot are rarely attempted in sport.
The correct execution can be very dangerous to those kicked, the lower
kicks are far more difficult to block (requiring body shifting and/or knee and
leg checks).
The front kick contains hidden techniques. When jammed, the
rising knee before the kick can become a knee strike. The front kick can blast
past the leg and its returning motion can smash a heel into the back of the leg
as the real target. The shin to the
inner thigh or groin is likewise a possibility.
Presenting dangers against grappling, leaving only one leg
on the ground with its attendant un-stability, at the same time a low focused
kick into the ankle or the side of the knee can likewise pass that un-stability
to the opponent.
An exceptional Chinese version is found in the form Tam
Tu’ie (Tom Toy), often used by many systems as a beginning form. With origins
in China’s Islamic culture, it is also an entire system in its own right. Other systems (such as those associated with
the Jing Mo association) have also incorporated its abilities into their
system, too.
Tam Tu’ie’s kicks are issued (often) at about ankle height
with the tip of the toes (clad in shoes or boots). A more advanced version is done with the tip
of the toe sliding across the floor to gather momentum and sling shot forth
into the opponent.
I would suggest the front kick in all its versions haven’t
gone away, but many of them may not fit into sparring practice for safety
reasons.
Effective inclusion of the front kick in any program ought
not pass away, IMVHO.
T