Front kick: body leaning back or forward?
You will recall that I recently answered a question from Dave T about the chamber of the ankle in the front kick. Dave had a second question, which was as follows: "I was once showed a front kick where the body is leaned forward towards the target. The kick is similar to the karate version except for the deliberate forward leaning motion of the body. Some reasons for the forward leaning body: 1. Speed. The natural backward movement of the traditional front kick (due to the hip) slows the kick and telegraphs it. 2. Power. With the body in front, it supposedly adds more power to the kick due to the kicker’s bodyweight. 3. Balance. With the body in front towards the target, it helps the kicker keeps his balance especially if his kick is blocked or the opponent rushes forward during the kick. 4. Groin protection. With the body leaning forward, the groin is less exposed. 5. Lastly, related to point 3, with the bodyweight in front towards the target, it makes the kicker less vulnerable...