Kicks are more powerful than punches. Why? First of all, your legs are much stronger than your arms. They have been holding you up since the day you learned to walk and they carry your weight around all day long. Your legs are also longer than your arms, meaning kicks will give you a much greater reach advantage (which might even your odds against an opponent with longer arms who is untrained in using or defending against kicks). Legs are also harder to see coming than a punch.

Your legs are also far more crucial to your ability to maintain balance than are your hands and arms. Anytime you kick to targets that are above waist level you risk losing your balance. Therefore, Krav Maga often stresses kicking to vulnerable targets located in the lower areas of the body — such as the legs, knees, and groin. However, remember that when you are kicking you are also standing on one leg, even if only for a brief moment. This means you are temporarily unstable (compared to the stability of having both your feet on the ground).

Front Kicks

In Krav Maga there are two basic Front Kicks. The first is a kick to the groin using the instep or shin, and the second is a kick to a vertical target, which acts more like a punch with the ball of your foot toward your opponents midsection.

In sport fighting, such as mixed martial arts, kicking to the groin is not allowed. The reason these kicks are illegal is because a groin kick is hard to see coming, therefore it is very challenging to defend against. Also, when a groin kick lands correctly it is very damaging and can end the fight! This is the very reason it is allowed and encouraged in the Krav Maga training system. When it comes to self-defense, the Front Kick to the groin is a highly effective tool.

A Front Kick is a swinging of the leg combined with an opening and closing of the knee. Krav Maga emphasizes not just kicking to your target but kicking through the target. Remember, you want your foot to travel further than the contact point, which is why this kick may look like a high kick when performing it without making contact. Once you are comfortable kicking with the rear leg, practice kicking with the front leg. Kicking to the groin with the forward leg may feel less powerful, but it is faster and sneakier. Remember that you make contact with this kick with either the area of the foot where you would tie your shoes or with your shin.

An additional Front Kick used in Krav Maga is a Front Kick with the ball of the foot. This kick is delivered to the midsection or chest. In order to make contact with the ball of your foot you need to pull your toes upward to the top of your shoes to expose the ball of the foot. If you are not sure, kick the ground with the ball of your foot a few times to understand the striking surface. The ball of the foot is very bony, and if this kick is delivered appropriately it can penetrate you opponent's body and do a great deal of damage.

This kick can be practiced without making contact to a pad, but to feel the effectiveness of the kick it should be executed to a heavy bag. This kick is considered a long-range weapon, so be sure you have enough distance between you and the bag.

Keep your hands up as you deliver the kick so you are in a position to defend yourself against a possible attack or counter-attack to your head. Once you are more experienced with kicks, it is not necessary to always land back in your Fighting Stance. You may find that you land in a Neutral Stance or your opposite Fighting Stance, where what was your back foot is now forward. Either way, after delivering a strong kick you should be in control and able to plant the kicking foot wherever it is needed.

Round Kicks

Just as a Hook Punch (Chapter 13, page 153) and an Uppercut Punch (Chapter 13, page 155) are the same punch on different planes, the same holds true for a Front Kick versus a Round Kick. A Round Kick is essentially a Front Kick turned over on its side. The striking surface for a round kick is the same as a Front Kick — the area of the shoelaces or the shin. You can use a Round Kick to strike the knee, the leg, the ribs, or even the head. Although Krav Maga self-defense does not emphasize kicks to the head because they are hard to make effective, there is a place for them in fitness training because they foster balance, flexibility, and control.

Round Kick Without Making Contact

This kick is much less complex due to the fact that since you are not striking anything you do not have to think about angles of contact. When performing a Round Kick without a bag or pad, you cannot put nearly as much weight into your kick because you have nothing for your leg to strike. Practicing this kick is great for balance and stability as well as flexibility and mobility of the hips.

Begin with your left foot, which is your base foot, turned out at about 45 degrees. Next, pick the right knee up, extend the leg out and back, then lightly place the right foot on the floor.

Round Kick to a Heavy Bag

A Round Kick to a Heavy Bag takes practice. Take your time, be patient, and don't try to kick the bag with full speed. Learn the movement first and it will begin to become more powerful as your technique improves.

When you first learn a Round Kick, begin in a Neutral Stance. Pick the right knee up and roll the right hip over while pivoting on the base foot. The knee will open to send the kick and close to recoil the kick, just as it does for a Front Kick. As you recoil, be sure the base foot pivots back to where it started.

You may place the kicking leg in either a Fighting Stance or a Neutral Stance. The most important part is that you know where you want to place the leg and you are able to place it there in a controlled manner.

A common problem in executing a Round Kick is the base foot not pivoting enough or at all. The reason for pivoting this foot is to allow the hips to move in the direction the kick is going. Many students try to pivot on a flat foot, or lift the ball of their foot and do not pivot at all. This can cause undue torque and stress to the knee. Be sure when you pivot that you are turning on the ball of the foot so that the heel comes almost completely forward. It may help to take the weight off the foot, almost like you are jumping.

Another common problem with the Round Kick is not getting the hip to roll over or turn on its side. This problem can often be fixed by pivoting the foot. Try facing the bag, then send a right kick and pause with your shin on the bag. Observe that your right hip should be directly on top of the left hip. Try holding this position for a count of five or until you feel solid in that position. Practice this kick and hold it a few times, then see if you can apply that motion into your kick.

Knee Strikes

The Knee Strike is a weapon that is used when you are very close to your opponent. If you have ever seen a mixed martial arts fight, fighters in close to each other try to send Knee Strikes to the body in many angles and directions. For the purpose of basic fitness this section will go over Knee Strikes that travels forward and upward.

Knee Strike to a Heavy Bag

When delivering a Knee Strike to a Heavy Bag, place one hand on each side of the bag. Bring the knee up and at the same time move your hips forward and up to generate power. Lightly touch the knee to the bag, then place the foot back down and repeat.

Knee Strike Without Making Contact

When practicing Knee Strikes Without Making Contact, imagine you are grabbing the shoulder and back of your opponent's arm. As your knee travels upward, you pull your hands down toward your knee as if you were pulling your opponent's upper body down into your knee. The two forces moving toward each other will have a much greater impact upon collision than if only one force was moving.

Side Kicks

A Side Kick is different than a Front Kick or Round Kick because it's similar to a stomping kick. It is the same movement you would use to stomp on an aluminum can to crush it, but the stomp is done out to the side. This kick is usually delivered to the midsection but can also be done to the knee.

When working to a heavy bag you need to have a significant amount of distance between you and the bag. Start by standing sideways to the bag. Bring the knee that is closest to the bag up in front of your body in a chambered position, with the foot raised and the knee bent high. Extend your kicking leg and hips out toward the target while pivoting your base foot so that your heel turns toward the target. You should make contact with the bottom of your heel with your foot parallel to the floor. Recoil by bringing your foot and knee back toward you, then return it to the floor.

Don't leave your leg hanging out there once you've delivered a sidekick. Pull it back in the opposite direction that you delivered. You want to be on one leg for as short a time as possible.

If it is hard for you to lift the knee and pivot the base foot, you may want to try stepping into your Side Kick. You will need a little more distance for this Side Kick because you are stepping in toward the bag. When standing sideways to the bag, step behind the kicking leg. When you take this step, be sure you place the foot with the heel pointed toward the bag, chamber your knee, and send the Side Kick the same way as above.

Side Kick Without Making Contact

Performing a Side Kick that does not make contact requires the same movements as if you were making contact to a target. One thing you need to be aware of is not to hyperextend the knee upon the extension of the kick. Begin slowly and control the motion out and back with the leg. Once this feels stable you can then begin to kick with more intent. Keep in mind that you do not put as much force into attacks that do not have a bag or pad to make contact with.