Front Kicks Are The Best Kick for Self Defense 

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“He doesn’t wanna train” yet I was just there for an hour and a half training by myself AND it was my birthday and I had things to do 🙄

The front kick is my jab when I’m fighting spazzy newbies who like to swing with every fibre in their body as soon as I step into range.

You have to yell for Sparta as you throw it

Cliff always looks chill lol

In the Marine hand to hand program they teach front kicks over round kicks. The program is actually really close to the vids you teach. (Dirty boxing with knees and elbows, sprawl, double, single, plus basic guards and transitions.) All the stuff that requires the least amount of fine motor skills

6:09 dang... that really resonated with me.. actually pretty inspiring

I totally agree. After 30 years in Taekwondo, I’m a big fan of it. You Don’t have to stretch out to do it, it’s very effective against boxers who tend to be more squared off. No risk of balance issues. You can create space or kick them in the face or cut their movement off of to the thigh. You can cover a lot of ground if you do a hopping front kick

I 100% agree! If you look at old school Okinawan karate... they favor the front kick above all other kicks. And kicks are mostly used to the waist and lower.

That's why I started to use it a lot in sparring especially the teep to the thigh.

I always loved how versatile the front kick can be. Ball of the foot to the chin or solar plexus, entire bottom of the foot to the abs, heel to the pelvis, top of the foot to the groin. Snapping or thrusting/pushing, feinting into other kicks like the ? Kick.

“It’s actual real instruction.” We’re gonna be hitting each other with tactical whips fifteen minutes in, aren’t we?

The push kick instantly becomes more powerful if you shout "THIS IS SPARTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" Fact

I think it says a lot that one of the first documented Western martial arts, pankration (which was like MMA but with less rules) considered the front kick the most powerful and useful kick

Seem like everyone is always having fun learning. You can tell Icy mike really cares for his peers.

My old man taught me years ago how effective the front kick is. Works really well as alot of folks, even though they might be trained somewhat, don't have the common sense to step or slide offline to avoid it, they just stand there or walk into it anyway.

I absolutely agree. I have knocked down or hurt more people with a powerful clean fast front kick, either lead leg or back leg, than any other kick. It reminded me a little bit of something Bruce Lee said, "when I was new a kick was just a kick then as I learned more a kick was no longer just a kick, but now that I'm older a kick is just a kick." In fact as my sparring skills progressed, despite my excellent spin kicks and jump kicks, I found myself relying on the front kick more and more. If you think about it every kick uses the same mechanics of a front kick, and to modify it into a round kick you just pivot the base leg. You can take a front push kick and convert it into a sidekick or spinning back or sidekick by adding a partial pivot or a full pivot, and a hook kick is nothing more than a round kick with the reverse direction. In short every kick is a form of front kick, except the front kick is fastest and hardest to block or avoid.

This is such helpful advice. I've never been in a fight (nor do I really want to be) but just watching this and your other videos gives me the confidence that I'm not just going to be pummeled to a pulp. I will have a chance to defend myself. Thank You So Much!

6:33 Especially if you're decent at pulling guard from having your leg grabbed.

Yep

100% agree. Especially good for ppl wearing/carrying weapons. Makes time and space. I practice front kicks on a bag, with shoes, from lead and support leg more than any other kicks. Can produce lots of power from the back leg while wearing boots...

the front kick never fails when delivered with precision..👍

hyped to check out the course bossss

Love it. I've been pushing the idea of front kicks for years. If you really drill this kick for maximum speed and minimal telegraph, no one on the street is going to know how to respond. In taekwondo, especially sport taekwondo, we're always told it's a low value kick. Mainly because of the electronic scoring and the need to land a full flat foot to score. But I've built this into my favourite weapon, along with the lead leg side kick. One of my sparring partners has a really fast fake with the left then front power kick with the right. Catches me out often.

Great videos, I think you might be doing the most practical videos of this sort on youtube. It does help that you have obviously been in a gym before.

Most underrated kick for sure!

“...even Jay could do one.” Daaaamn that burn!!!

Groin Front kick is a core kick for self defense, if the target is squared up with you. And, because of sport training, stances tend to be over daring regarding the groin. If you have the shot, take it. And yes, there is no strike that is a magic off switch, every time... but the groin, like the eyes, is a great target.

I've always thought this too.... Glad you made a vid on it

That is very instructive, front kick is versatile and excellent arsenal for the streets.

Cool video! We occasionally practice front kicks and stomps in Longsword and Dagger class, but they stay hip-level or lower, to avoid imbalance. Our targets were hip, groin, thigh, inside and outside of the knee, shin, and a stomp on the foot. There was a front foot-front kick and a rear-foot front kick. You could use the front-foot to disrupt forward movement by planting on the thigh, collapse a knee, tap the nuts, or pull a shield down or tilt it (a weakness of Centre-grip shields like your buckler - you should try attacking that buckler by pushing at one edge and striking through the other, now voided side immediately following - he, he, he)... The rear-foot to knock someone backward or mess-up a knee, or fake... We kept all this very controlled because we we’re not used to training kicks and some were intended to do some kind of real damage... I feel like these kicks would all work well in a street fight if practiced, but I’d want to develop some kind of safe kicking dummy if I was going to practice it seriously and I feel like I’d want a modern martial artist to do some coaching on how to avoid injuring myself (toes/ankles/knees) while practicing then... 🤔

I agree, yesterday I taught my son that after you did technical standing and ready in standing, one of the first thing you could do is front kick.

I've always been fond of the side kick and front kick as they hit with the bottom edge of the foot instead of the shin and just seem more instinctive than a roundhouse or whatnot. Not that I necessarily do a lot of kicking, but I do still drill it and, in the past, actually had got pretty good at the "burst kick" variant of the side kick when I was little. Every now and then I will practice that one as it does cover a lot of distance quickly and theoretically could be beneficial against a threat holding a melee weapon, but generally keep my training more close quarter and stick to front kicks and knees when it comes to the legs.

Front kick is prominent in Bujinkan. At the time I was studying it we put an emphasis on the heel and more like you were trying to kick down a door. Everything you said though was what was taught. It creates distance quickly if it also doesn't knock them down

Excellent!

I like some of the Wing Chun lower front kicks, especially aimed at the legs

4:21 jump cut to the next scene with a size XXL man hand size and shape red mark on Mike's shiny dome.

Exactly what I think. I would use a front kick in a lot of situations in a street fight, for example, to defend a haymaker that I would probably see coming. And front kicks are so sneaky you can hide it pretty easily with feinting with your hands and even get a good momentum for the kick with these feints.

Thank you from Vietnam

Always thought why fighters weren't front kicking so often, good to see I'm not crazy for thinking about this lol

That movie reminds me of what Royce used to do in the early UFC's. He would keep distance with his front push kick, then when he wanted to close the distance he would fake another front push kick and go for a body lock and takedown.

"Even Jay could do one" Big oof for my man Jay

Well yeah. When I was in my mid teens and wasn't taught how to fight properly. I got into a fight with 2 other guys and to quickly get a guy out of the way. I front kicked one to the knee. Can confirm, it works. He now has a limp. Edit: It might have been more of a push/front kick. All I know is that it worked quite well.

If your a righty turn your left hip inward and strike as high as you can and make contact with your heel straight to the orbital socket

For a short time i quit checking leg kicks and just started throwing front kick as soon as i seen it coming, usually always landed first despite them starting their kick first.

Great stuff. Wish I had hip mobility to do anything other than a front kick

so useful gracias from mexico city ¡¡¡¡

6:40 The issue with kicking above the waist has to do with how it really only takes one counter grab to be thrown onto your back, in a losing position. In fact, the weakness of the front kick may also be in how a more trained person would sweep the other leg. Rotate sideways and sweep the leg. It actually won't take too much in terms of understanding how to perfectly counter that kick. But, and this is a big one, you are correct in how it just doesn't take much skill to do a front kick and create that space. It might be enough what you need to be able to run away.

Excellent works for me while running, & kicking 45 degrees right or left punching it out with hip! Ouch--t.

Low roundhouse to the back of the knee - unpredictable, potentially crippling (for the moment), entry when the opponent is moving away, so easy recovery. What, besides the groin is a good, effective target? Most people can absorb a front kick to the body. Good video!

I use it alot very good teep to do in muay thai

Facts!!

Could you then do a video on the defense against a front kick? Yin and Yang!

I love the front kick. I've knocked many people down sparring with a front kick. If they're stand very square a front kick with the heel to the solar plexus rocks. UFC probably doesn't use it because it's easy to trap. I see it getting caught all the time in the hard sparring video series.

That's my favorite kick precisely because is easy, is safer and is versatile. Is also stealthy.

Lovin' Cliff's expanded presence in recent vids. You need to give him a chance to sound off with some advice too. Hes a great foil for you, Mike. The Ying to your Yang; the chill, soft spoken big dude to your high energy little dude.

The music for the course is the official "Kick Street" theme song.

I agree. Also because its pretty straightforward, it is the most practical kick for boxers during street fight. Please make a video on Filipino Martial Arts :) BTW, I experienced basic Arnis/Escrima during my High School days, 8 yrs ago. Now, I am practicing boxing. I can see it integrates well with boxing.

savate: allow us to introduce ourselves.

I like me some good ol' push kick, although more agile opponents tend to dodge it since it targets horizontally. That's why i like to follow it up with a roundhouse from the other leg.

You're right with this whole video, in my experience, front kicks are the best kick in general. Safe, naturally move you into your opponent's space, which forces them to reposition to respond to your attack, hitting a man in the belly with your heel will make him see god for a second, et cetera. Another point you have made that's excellent is the efficacy of feints in a street fight. Feints hardly ever do shit in ring fighting, because you KNOW you're going to be okay if you misjudge the feint. In a street fight, you could get knocked out, fall down, hit your temple on the pavement, and die. You ABSOLUTELY get more mileage out of feints when the chips are down.

Hey! What are your thoughts on using the heel vs the ball of the foot while doing the front kick?

I agree

You're like a bratty little brother! Lol great stuff dude! Keep 'em coming

Hi Icy Can u pls do a series focussing on street fight applicablr stryks submissions knees etc ??

it's also great for combo kicks

I want to watch Hard 2 hurt shenanigans.

Front kick was always my favourite kick. I think it's because i used to practise the Barbarian's big boot.

Unexpected comedy moment @5:31 watching this at 5am. My laugh woke my wife.

Another issue with a sweeping kick is your foot may not be able to pivot very well if you're wearing shoes.

Lol. When u used to say groin kicks dont end fights, I was always like: what about the UFC! But this thing about the old vale tudo is solid argument. I never realized this, because i never watched it. I am definetly going to. Thanks

I really like the usage of the front kick to the leg/knee like shown in 5:09, it's almost like a jab, it's easy to make use of this kick even in combinations, and it works even better if you wear combat boots!

Front kicks and linear kicks in general; if you can hit a guy from a further distance (longer than punches and round kicks) and he isn't in range to hit you back, sounds like a pretty good investment to me.

What are your thoughts on the stomp kick, a front kick that leads with the heel of the foot to the lower abdomen, like when you’re kicking in a door?

"Come here." "Why, so you can kick me?" "Yes!"

I'm surprised to see no "That's my purse i don't know you" comments. Disappointed.

I have a boxing background and train at a kickboxing gym. I use the front kick ALL the time to disrupt combo's and it works. My hands are good but my kicks are ass, so I stick to what works for me. The front kick. One day I'll have better kicks, but the front will do for now. lol.

I think front kick is one of the best weapons to defend a haymaker punch, which is the most common attack in the street

it's also great when someones rushing at you, don't even need to really kick just put your leg up and let them walk into it and it will probalbly stop them and hurt.

front kick off your back leg can get some serious thrust

like Jay a lot, it's all good, Jay, you are good

You called it wrong, this is SPARTA kick

The front kick if done properly is the most useful kick. Short path is the best path. Recovers the fastest, hard to block. If not thrown like a flower , it can be powerful , especially a front thrust off the rear leg. Effective kicking is an art, and an equalizer.

And it is great to disguise other kicks. Like TKD, who chamber the front kick, but end with a roundhouse, side, crescent...

I have used a front kick in a street fight.. The way I use it is; 1. never kick above the gut; 2 always a fake jab to the head or a jab and them a right cross to the head then a front kick to the gut.. His hands are up high and to protect his head and the kick to the gut has always put him down..

Have you ever done a review on brass knuckles for self defense?

The dude with the myrtle beach top looks like he don’t wanna be there loool

you should look at the toe kicks from Okinawa.......kicking with the ball of the foot is so sport karate

Anderson Silver vs Vitor Belfort! Deadly front kick

In traditional japanese martial arts the front kick, in my case the front stompkick is the first kick you learn. I was attacked in a train and landed a stompkick mid chest that lifted my opponent from his feet and throwed him hard onto his back. It was litterally the basic kick I must have repeated in 6 figure numbers over the years. Mid chest isn't even a very good target exept for light contact sparring practice. When the back of his head bounced from the floor I thought f*** I killed somebody. Then he tried to lift his head and I knew he would be ok and I left the train.

How about the front kick to the face like pro wrestling? The Big Boot?

From the shin to the nose, from left to right, all In between you can hit with a powerful, fast, unexpected, low risk strike that requires little to no skill, and that can be a light touch or a concussion, even hitting high is not that hard (you don't need to be as flexible to give a head kick with a from/snap kick than you need to be to do the same with a roundhouse kick), the only downside it's the same that all kicks have and is it getting catch but apart from that there is none (it can be retracted faster so is even harder to catch).

I front kicked someone in the back yesterday cuz he pushed me when i was on my bike and then walked away Is that now a back kick or front kick to the back

He’s basically Edward Norton if he continued his dream of running a Fight Club

this man talk real thing. not like someone talk about imagination

I tell my sisters this all the time front kick to the nuts knocking any weirdo down any body any size can land a powerful front kick if taught properly..

First take the longest distance. Use the longest weapon. A kick on a punch. A punch on a grab.

Front kicks are great but a neglected playground technique is the kick in the shins wearing a pair of school shoes, I had a 100% record in the under tens ultimate playground fighting championship due to my shinning and windmilling combo's. Also crying hysterically coupled with incoherent screaming worked well as a pre and post fight psych out

As I'm older now, i really hope I don't have to defend myself. Regarding front kick, i predict a pulled hammy ->fall to the ground yelling in agony-> get ass kicked haha

Front kicks are super underutilized. I always think of ONE guys like Lerdsila when I think of front kicks.