Question 120: Kick difference

In the straight leg version, the kicking leg is kept straight throughout the kick and most all the power comes from hip rotation.

In the snapping version, the leg is bent, and, while most all of the power still comes from hip rotation, a snap kick adds more power. All the motions are the same as with the straight leg version except that instead of a straight leg, knee is bent as in a front kick chamber. As the knee starts moving horizontally through the plane of the target, the leg snaps the foot into and through the target in sort of a front kick where the foot moves sideways instead of straight forward. The straight leg version is similar to a hook punch; it can move around a guard, but it is easy to block and is difficult to control. The snap version is similar to a hooking jab punch; it can move inside a guard, is more difficult to block, and can be controlled as precisely as a punch.

I was never taught a vertical kick and there does not seem to any consensus of opinion as to what it is. Some describe it as sort of a karate side snap kick, some describe it as similar to the rising kick (actually a warm-up exercise instead of a kick) except it is performed to side, and some describe it as a side kick performed straight up (useless except for demonstrations and it requires extreme flexibility).