Kick facts for kids
A kick is a strong hit using your leg. You usually use your foot, heel, shin (the front part of your lower leg, called the tibia), or even your knee. Kicks are a common way to attack or defend. Both humans and animals with hooves, like horses, use kicks.
Kicks are very important in many types of martial arts. These include styles like Taekwondo, Karate, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai. They are also used in MMA, Capoeira, and Kung Fu.
Kicks Through History
People have probably been kicking each other for a very long time, even before history was written down. But high kicks, which aim above the waist or at the head, seem to have started in Asian martial arts.
These high kicks came to the Western world in the 1800s. Early fighting styles like Bartitsu and Savate were inspired by Asian techniques. High kicks became much more common in the second half of the 1900s. This was when sports like kickboxing and later mixed martial arts became popular.
Kicks in Sports
Kicking is also a big part of many sports. The most famous of these are the sports called football. The best-known football sport is association football, which many people call soccer. In soccer, players kick the ball to score goals and pass to teammates.
Images for kids
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American karateka shows off flexibility needed for a high kick
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Taekwondo front kick
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Taekwondo back kick.
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Axe kick by Christine Theiss 2013
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Steven Ho executing a Jump Spin Hook kick
See also
In Spanish: Patada para niños
