If you are careful about martial arts or watch MMA matches, for sure, you notice this fantastic kick, the switch front kick.
It is not an easy kick to perform; it is usually made to confuse the opponents by switching the legs.
The switch front kick is frequently performed by people that already have some excellent skill on footwork; it is a regular front kick, the general made to penetrate the guard of the opponent, but the only difference that it is throw only after the switching of the legs, made more or less in the place where you are standing.
Today you are fortunate because, in this article, you will have all the necessary information needed to master this kick, starting from the terminology and easy-going deeper, sharing with you some important tips to learn or improve the switch front kick in the best way.
What is a switch front kick?
The switch front kick is a penetrating kick used to confuse the opponents by switching as fast as possible the legs and then hitting with the front leg.
The only difference from the front leg front kick is that you have to switch your legs, creating confusion for your opponent. We can categorize this kick with the family of the stop-kick.
Is the switch front kick powerful?
Yes, it is a mighty kick, not only because of the rear leg power, but also because the kicking leg that is brought backward rebound off the floor for the kicking motion, and as also mentioned before, it can be a surprising kick, as the switching legs will baffle your opponent.
How to do a switch front kick?
When you are at the right fighting distance, you have to follow the following steps:
Step 1
Measure the proper distance from your opponent
Step 2
Switch legs fast, taking into consideration the new distance
Step 3
As soon as both feet touch the floor, lift and kick throw your opponent; you can consider at this stage to throw a heel front kick as an alternative of the standard front kick.
Tips on switch front kick
Arrived at that stage, you already understand how to throw a good switch front kick, but before trying it with your sparring partner, I would like to give you some essential tips to remember during the execution of this beautiful kick.
1st Tip Avoid unnecessary movement
These types of kicks require a lot of speed and precision to have success.
One of the key element to improve the speed is avoiding unnecessary movement, so my advice is to pay attention to the upper body movement, more, in particular, you have to try to make only the rotation necessary to switch your legs and the necessary possible, you have thought at a spinning top but controlling the rotation.
2nd Tip Stability
The switch front kick can be dangerous if you don’t control your stability correctly.
Remember that as soon as you switch your legs, you can find yourself in an unstable position due to the dispositions of your feet.
So try to switch your feet as close to the floor as possible, avoiding jumping up.
Best target point for Switch front kick
As we mentioned before, this is a stop-kick, so the best part to hit are the lower abdomen, ribs, and solar plexus.
If your flexibility is good enough, you can raise the stakes trying hitting the face.
The best exercise to improve switch front kick
If you want to improve the switch front kick, you have to focus on the speed of your movements, in particular, feet speed and upper body.
To improve this kick, you can mark a spot on the floor and practice the kick while trying to adjust the distance, before forward then backward, to find the proper equilibrium to gain stability.
All the stop-kick will be perfect for doing some exercise with your partner using a padded target or alone using a heavy bag.
Is Switch front kick useful during a street fight?
Yes, it can be helpful, depending on the situations; one of the situations that you can find this helpful kick is when:
Your attacker is trying to kick on your leg; you can switch the legs fast, in the way that the attacker will miss your leg.
It could cause a loss of balance, allowing you to attack and defend yourself in any way.
Conclusion
This is all regarding this fantastic kick; if you want to improve the switch front kick, this is the perfect guide for you; we tried to give you the best tips possible to achieve that, so now it is your time, start training and surprise your opponents with this kick.