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Front Stretchkick - Wushu
The front stretchkick, in chinese "Zheng
Ti" ( straight kick ) is a basic wushu kick.
Every wushu workout begins with the basic kicks "Tui Fa" and
the front stretch kick is the first of them. The front stretchkick
is followed by the side stretchkick, the inside circlekick, the outside
circlekick and the slapkick.
Find more wushu instructions at wushu main.
Technical description: Front Stretchkick - Wushu
- Stand upright, head as high as possible and look straight forward.
Spread your arms to the sides and extend your elbows totally.
When viewed from the side, the hands should be slightly over and behind shoulder level.
The hands form palms, knees extended, back hollowed slightly.
To learn how to go from zero into this position, pleas check the "Initial Stretchkick Movement" lesson.
- Step forward with the left foot ( heel first ) and keep your upper body totally vertical.
Keep looking straight forward and don't move your arms.
Start kicking the right leg and keep both knees totally extended.
Make sure you keep looking straight forward and don't move your hands.
Try not to move the hips and don't lean back at all.
The upper body must stay totally vertical.
It is very important that you keep your hips really really low.
So don't elevate one side of the hips.
If you elevate the right hip, you will not be able to kick fast and the foot will go up too high.
Keep in mind that a good front stretchkick should not go over head height.
- Kick as close as you can to your head, but not over head.
The front stretchkick is a fast kick and elevating the hips ( or in other words kicking too high ) slows the technique down.
Keep both knees extended and look straight forward.
Important stuff:
- The heel of the left leg has to stay on the floor.
This is about speed and not height.
- Keep both knees totally extended.
- Pull the toes down so that you can see your foot sole when your shoe is in front of your eyes.
This stretches the legs even more, but makes the kick look really flashy.
- Don't round your back and don't lean back.
Keep your back hollowed and even lean 1 or 2 cm forward when you reach the highest point.
- Keep your arms extended and your hands behind & over shoulder level.
Many beginners let their upper body colapse when the foot reaches the highest point.
Try to elevate and stretch your hands back even more when your
foot comes closer to your face.
- Snap the foot back down even faster than you kicked up and extend the ankle.
The down motion is the most important part of this leg technique
and if you elevated your hips or rounded your back,
you will no be able to move the leg fast enough.
Now the right toe touches the floor, but the right leg doesn't carry any weight.
Keep your upper body upright and look straight forward.
Both knees fully extended.
This is how most modern schools practice the front stretchkick.
However, some traditional schools like to bring the kicking foot back until the feet are next to each other.
- Then step forward and when the right heel touches the floor, the right leg carries the weight. NOT BEFORE THAT!!!
- Then kick the other leg and do the whole thing the other way around.
Traditionally 8 kicks are done in a row.
( 8 kicks = appr. one wushu carpet length )
4 left kicks and 4 right kicks.
Trainer advice: Front Stretchkick - Wushu
- Warm up and stretch before you begin.
- Don't forget to check the lesson for the "Initial Stretchkick Movement"
- There are special stretches for the basic wushu kicks.
- 10 important Donts:
- Don't bend your knees.
- Dont' elevate the heel of the standing leg.
- Never round your back.
- Never bend your elbows.
- Don't bring your hands forward and don't let them sink down as you kick.
- Don't lean back.
- Don't kick over head height.
- Don't extend the ankle of the kicking leg when the foot is in front of your face.
- Don't elevate your hips.
- Don't look down.
Related instructions: Front Stretchkick - Wushu
Videos: Front Stretchkick - Wushu
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