Flying Frontkick - Wushu

Flying Frontkick - Wushu

The flying frontkick, in Chinese: "teng kong fei jiao" is one of the easiest wushu jump kicks. Most people learn it in 6 month or less. The flying frontkick is considered the easest wushu jump, but the wushu butterfly kick without twist is usually learned first, because you don't need to turn all the way around or jump and land with the same leg. However, some wushu beginners manage to learn the flying frontkick in only a few weeks. I recommend you learn the flying wushu frontkick in a sand pit first. Work on your slapkicks before you try the flying frontkick. Find more wushu jumps at wushu main.

Execution

  • Run a few steps and jump from your right foot. The last step is with the flat foot sole or rolling over the heel. Don't try to bounce from the ball of the foot. At the same time lean a few degrees back, but not too far - you could slip.
  • Jump off and swing your extended left leg up. The leg swing is essential and helps you gain enough height. If the timing is right, the momentum of the left leg will make that you don't have to carry it's weight when you jump off => Hence, you will jump higher. At the same time swing the hands forward up to head height.
  • Clap your hands together in front of the head. (see wushu slapkick instruction)
  • Kick your right leg up and clap your right hand on the right foot. The right leg can either be lifted with the knee bent or extended. The advantage of the extended knee is that the kick looks straighter. The advantage of the bent knee is that the kick can be executed faster. Either way the leg has to be totally extended when the hand touches the foot. At the highest point of the kick the foot should be slightly over hip height. Move your chest slightly forward as you kick. At the same time bend the left leg, so that the left knee is over hip height and the lower leg points down vertical. The ankle has to be totally extended. Ideally the kick/slap is done before the highest point of the jump.
  • Pull your right leg back down even faster than you kicked it up and move your arms down fast. The right leg and the upper body should be in a vertical line. The left leg stays bent until the landing. Look straight forward. The hands should be behind the hip and the fingers should point straight forward or down. There are a few different forms how you can move your hands after the kick. The one shown here is one of the most popular ones. Ideally all this would happen before you reach the highest spot of the jump.
  • Maintain this posture until you land on your right leg. BTW, I hope you noticed that the flying wushu frontkick is jumped, kicked and landed on the same leg. Landing on the left leg is WRONG ! The Flying frontkick is only done with the right leg! There is no left version of this wushu jump. Try to land as soft as possible and keep your upper body vertical during the landing.
  • Flying frontkicks are often followed by wushu whirlwind kicks or wushu butterfly twists. Another nice combination is going from a flying frontkick to a cartwheel without hands without steps in-between.


  • The Runup for the Flying Wushu Frontkick
    • Stand on your right foot while your left toe touches the floor about one ft in front of your right foot.
    • Look to the left (chin over your left shoulder) and extend your right arm straight over your head (vertically). Your left palm is at your right shoulder and the elbow of your left arm in front of your abs. You are going to run to the left side. BTW, the right hand is closed (fist).
    • Let the Left hand sink down and then forward while your left leg makes a big step to your left (forward)
    • Step forward with our right leg.
    • Then make another left step, hop and let your arms fall over earch-other. The right arm falls over the left arm, both arms go down and than straighten again. (Left arm horizontal, right on a few degrees higher). At the same time, let your feet clap together. If that's sounds a bit confusing, watch the videos for the flying wushu frontkick.
    • Land on your right foot, make a step with your left leg, and then jump from your right.

Advice

  • For higher wushu jumps, place reuther springboard in front of a sand pit.
  • Do a couple of wushu slapkicks as a warm up for the flying frontkick. Don't kick too high if you feel you can't land on the ight leg "YET".
  • Train your legs. Rope skipping on one leg, frog jumps, etc.
  • The easiest and safest way to learn the flying wushu frontkick is to jump into a sand pit from a reuther-springboard or a bump. Don't do the flying frontkick run up when you jump into a sand pit. Just runt straight to the bump. Here is an explaination of how you can learn the flying frontkick in 5 easy steps:
    • Exercise 1 for the Flying Wushu Frontkick
      Step onto the bump with your right leg, swing up your left up eg as hard as you can. Let your right leg follow. Don't force your right leg to go catch up too early. In mid-air your heels touch each other and then land on your right leg. At this very first stage of the flying fronkick, you learn hown to swing up your left leg. Don't kick yet. Lean back a little bit before you jump off, and get upright again in mid-air (using your abs). If you swing the left leg correctly, you won't have to carry its weight.
    • Exercise 2 for the Flying Wushu Frontkick
      Step 2 is basicly like step 1, only that now you bend your left leg at the highest point. Bend your left leg so that the knee is at hip height or higher and the left calf is aligned vertically (toes point down).
    • Exercise 3 for the Flying Wushu Frontkick
      Repeat step 2, but now lift your right knee in mid-air and try to touch your thigh with one of your hands. Keep in mind that you still hav to land on your right leg. So you have to swing your left leg properly and jump high enough.
    • Exercise 4 for the Flying Wushu Frontkick
      Now kick the entire, straightened leg. Kick higher and higher until you can do the kick like illustrated above.
    • Exercise 5 for the Flying Wushu Frontkick
      Now start working on your slapkick, like if you were doing a wushu slapkick on the floor. Clap your hands together and then your kick...
  • To increase your vertical leap for the basic wushu jumps, I recommend frog jumps.