Karate kicks (geri) are the longest-range, highest-power strikes in the art — the knee lifts, the leg snaps or thrusts out, then recovers. Below is every core Shotokan kick, each with a full illustrated how-to.
The core kicks are mae-geri (front kick), yoko-geri (side kick), mawashi-geri (roundhouse), ushiro-geri (back kick) and mikazuki-geri (crescent kick). Mae-geri is the first one taught.
What is the first karate kick you learn?
Mae-geri, the front snap kick — the knee lifts high and the ball of the foot snaps to the target. It is the foundation for every other kick.
Which kicks appear in kata?
Mae-geri, yoko-geri (keage) and mikazuki-geri appear in the kata; mawashi-geri and ushiro-geri are mainly kihon and kumite kicks.