Aim Your Knee At The Target
To execute a Mae Geri aim your knee squarely at your target, draw your heel straight to the back of your thigh and reserve the power (Pic. 2). Relax the ankle of your pivot leg and reserve the power in your hips. Execute the kick using the spring of your entire body, twisting of the head, shoulders, arms, hips, and the pivot foot (Pic. 3). Deliver the power of the hip into the ball of the kicking foot using the twisting of the entire body. Be sure to snap the knee into the kick for power and speed (Pic. 3).
Because you kick directly to the front, your hip motion will be small, allowing you to draw the knee directly back quickly (Pic. 4). This kick can be used for attacking and is also effective for blocking and unbalancing your opponent.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
All techniques need to be executed with power. When Executing a Mae Geri, the emphasis is on speed, especially during kumite. The upper body must be relaxed, not tight, this is an important point. In all kick techniques the upper body leads the kick. In all punch techniques the legs and the hips lead the technique.
 |
 |
 |
The most common mistake made when executing the Mae Geri is to aim the kick too high. The kick is a straight snap; when the kick is aimed high the opponent automatically moves his head and upper chest back and the kick misses the target.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Practice your body position (kamae), aim your kicking knee at the target, reserving your power and speed. You need to practice this over and over again. To practice getting the correct body position you can use a chair, the wall or a bar to help with your balance. If your body position is correct and you are comfortable.
How To Use Lead Leg Mae Geri (Front Snap Kick) For Intermediate Level
 |
Powerful Kamae
For a powerful kamae, relax the arms and shoulders, keep your ankles and knees flexible, be on the balls of your feet and reserve your speed and power.
 |
How to Make a Smooth Lead Leg Mae Geri or Kakato Geri
In this type of training, timing is very important. If your timing is late, your lead leg Mae Geri will not work and you will lose the fight.
It is important to have a practice partner for this type of timing training. The timing training is started with the person practicing the lead leg Mae Geri controlling the timing. Start your timing training slowly and gradually increase the speed. As you become more comfortable executing the lead leg Mae Geri, let the kick receiver control the timing. During this phase of timing training use the same rhythm to practice, increase the speed of the rhythm as you get comfortable, don't act like you are fighting.
As you get more confident and comfortable with executing the lead leg Mae Geri, then practice using free timing (both sides) as in kumite (free fighting).
 |
Lead Leg Mae Geri Against Ushiro Mawashi Geri (Back Spin Kick)
Raise your body posture up, but don't shift your weight back.. Raise your knee maintaining your center of gravity over the supporting leg, catch your opponent's timing and execute the kick as he starts his action. Shifting your weight back will result in your timing being late and when you contact your opponent, you will lose your balance backward.
 |
Lead Leg Mae Geri Against Mawashi Geri (Round House Kick)
Remember to execute your kick as your opponent begins his kick.