Common Problems in the Techniques of Front Kick in Karate for Beginners

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to clarify common technical problems seen in beginners' front kick in karate.
The subjects were sixty students who took a karate class in general physical education at the University of Tsukuba. All of the subjects were beginners of Karate.
The subjects performed a front kick against a sand bag. Their performance were recorded with a video camera. The recorded performances were evaluated by three karate instructors in terms of (1) rotation of the support leg, (2) rotation of the upper body, (3) vertical movement of the body, (4) inclination of the body, (5) flexing and extending of the kicking leg, (6) distance from the target and (7) movement of the arms.
The results were summarized as follows:
1. It was difficult for the beginners to rotate the support leg and upper body correctly during the kick. Rotations of those parts of body were rarely observed in their performances.
2. About 60% of the subjects had a problem in with they swang or pushed their kicking leg rather than properly snapping their knee. It seemed that one cause of the problem was untimely extension of the kicking leg and the other cause was not enough flexing of the kicking leg.
3. The problems of being too near the target at the point of contact were observed in the performances of about 30% of the subjects.
4. Approximately one half of the subjects had the problem of unnecessary vertical body movement during the kicking as well as the problem of the upper body not being on the supporting leg. The male tended to move the body forwards and upwards, while the female showed the tendency to move the body downwards.