Kung fu and karate kicks: the snap kick

One of the very first kicks a martial artist will learn is the snap, also known as the front kick. It is normally taught from a forward stance and it comes off the rear leg.

This is accomplished by assuming a proper forward stance. For the sake of this article, it will be assumed you are right handed and wish to throw the kick with your strongest (right) leg. For this to happen, you will need to be in a left forward stance. A left forward stance simply means the left leg and the majority of your weight is out in front. Your knee will be bent and set directly over the heel of the foot. It should appear you have a rod driven through the knee, down the middle of the leg and straight out the heel of your foot. When looking at your leg from the front or rear, the knee and leg should be perpendicular to the floor. It should NOT lean.

To execute the basic snap kick, the right knee comes up as high as you can bring it and bends while your toes are pointed at the ground. It is important that your toes stay pointed to lower the chances of jamming or even breaking them.

When you go to make contact with your target, simply extend the leg with a quick snap and exhale as you hit. You should make contact to your target with the bony ridge on the topside of your foot that is located behind the toes. After you make contact, bring it back to the “locked and loaded” position with your knee bent. If you are going to throw another kick you can do so at this time or set it back down into its original position.

After you have practiced this kick until it becomes second nature and your Sensei decides it is time for you to move on, variations on the basic snap kick will be added to your sparring possibilities.

The following variations of the snap kick are usually taught from a fighting stance.

Forward snap – This kick will follow the same knee movements as the original snap but it will come off the front leg. This kick is often delivered more quickly but with less power than the original snap. With the forward snap kick you will still be hitting with the same area of the foot.

Push kick – The push kick can come off the front or rear leg and again will follow the knee movements of the original snap kick. There are the following differences though. With the push kick, the toes and ball of the foot are pulled upward so the strike is actually made with the heel of the foot.

Lung kick – This kick also can come of either foot, follows the knee movements of the original snap kick but its difference is the striking area is the ball of the foot. This kick can be aimed at the abdomen, solar plexus, throat or chin of an opponent.

Chicken kick – This is a funny name for what is basically a jumping lunge kick. From standing in a fighting stance, the left rear leg comes up to help with the upward momentum as you simultaneously jump with the supporting leg that will actually do the kick. BOTH feet will be in the air at the same time and the rear leg doesn’t make contact with the opponent.

Double snap or forward kick – This kick is often practiced on a heavy bag. It is usually taught with the student moving towards the bag and its movements are the same as the chicken kick except both feet will make individual hits.

Flip kick – The flip kick is a combination kick in which the snap is a diversionary tactic towards the groin in an attempt to get your opponent to drop his or her guard so you can then execute a roundhouse kick. This combination is a flowing movement in which both kicks come off the same leg and the foot never touches the ground in between.

As you can see, the original snap kick is a versatile maneuver that can be changed and its possible incorporation into various combinations can be limitless.

Many students will complain and bemoan the fact that they are required to practice the original snap kick endlessly while having no concept of how important it is to perfect the basics before moving on to more advanced techniques.