Koto Ryu Keri Sanpo Gata

The Three Types of Kicks (Keri Sanpo Gata)

Keri means to kick, and the three types refer to the three different parts of the foot/ leg used to kick. Since the number of variations is nearly unlimited, only the most common are listed.

Sole-of-the-Foot Kick (Sokuyaku Geri)

With the Sokuyaku Geri, the defender uses the ball of his foot or the heel to kick into the target. The Sokuyaku Geri include kicks such as front kicks (Zenpo Geri), sidekicks (Sokuho Geri), back kicks (Koho Geri), and jumping kicks (Tobi Geri).

Zenpo Geri: A zenpo geri is done by raising the knee to the chest and then kicking straight out into the opponent. This style of kick is more of a powerful, pushing kick instead of the fast, snappy kick used in modern martial arts.

Sokuho Geri: The Sokuho Geri is done similar to the front kick (Zenpo Geri). The defender raises his knee up toward his ribs and then kicks out to the side of his body. The important point to remember is to bring the knee up and then to kick out. This is quite different from side kicks seen in Karate and Tae Kwon Do.

Koho Geri: The Koho Geri can be done two different ways. The first is by leaning forward, looking over the shoulder, and kicking backwards into an opponent. The second is by bending over, placing the hands on the ground, looking between the legs for a target, and doing a high kick back into the opponent. From that position, the defender can easily go into a roll. The important point to remember is to keep the toes pointed at the ground when doing the kick and to pick out a target before kicking.

Take Ori: This is referred to here as an inverted-heel kick but literally means breaking bamboo. To do this with the right foot, the defender raises his right leg, twists his foot so that his toes point to the right, and pushes forward with the ball of the foot down into the target at a forty-five degree angle. The kick is sometimes referred to as a Bamboo Breaker (Take Ori) when it involves kicking out the inner thigh above the knee. However, this kick can be used for many targets such as the hip and shin.

Kakato Geri: This involves leaping onto the opponent while stomping into his body.

Tobi Geri: A Tobi Sokuyaku Geri is a jumping front kick. To do this, the defender jumps up kicking with one foot while bringing the other foot underneath the rump. When finished the defender's feet should land at the same time. This kick is done to low targets like the knee and inner thigh as well as higher targets like the solar plexus.

Ryotobi Sokuyaku Geri The defender jumps up and kicks with both feet into the opponent's torso using the balls of the feet. When kicking, the legs bend up and strike like an inverted-heel kick.

Awakening-Foot Kick (Sokki Geri/ Hiza Keri)

Sokki Geri refers to any strike done with the knees or the front part of the shin. A sokki geri does not have to be straight up into to the target. It can also come around similar to a MMA round house or come up at different angles.

Ryo Sokki Geri: The defender has the opponent bent over at the waist and holds the back of his head with both hands. The defender jumps up bringing both of his knees into the opponent's face simultaneously.

Gedan Geri: This means a low-level kick with the shin. The defender starts with his left side forward, raises his right leg, and swings it up into the opponent's groin, striking with the shin. When finished the defender's right side will be forward.

Gedan Mawashi Geri: This means a low-level round kick or in other words a low-level roundhouse. The defender starts with his left side forward, raises his right leg, and swings it around to the lead, kicking with his shin into the opponent's leg.

Twisted-Foot Kick (Sokugyaku Geri)

Sokugyaku Geri includes any form of kick in which the toes are used to strike and stab at the target.

Zenpo Geri: A zenpo sokugyaku geri is done by raising the knee to the chest and then kicking out into the opponent with a slight raising or upward motion. For instance, if the toe hits the solar plexus, it will continue to drive up at a forty-five degree angle behind the tip of the sternum. The tip of the sternum is also a great target for this kick.

Kakushi Geri Kakushi Geri literally means hidden kick and when done correctly, is difficult to see coming. The defender swings his foot up into the opponent's groin using the side of the big toe to kick into the target. The defender has to turn his foot sideways to do this (think of it like hacky-sack with the opponent's groin).

Ryotobi Sokugyaku Geri The Ryotobi Sokugyaku Geri is where the defender jumps up and kicks with the toes of both feet into the opponent's torso. With this strike, the toes kick into the target, unlike a ryotobi sokuyaku geri where the balls of the feet strike into the target.

 

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