Hey anyone have some advice for geting a frount kick to fully extend above the belt? I am having trouble getting my frount kick on the right side to fully extend and stay there. I snap it back to quickly. thanks

When you practice, are you kicking a pad, or the air?

You can improve the mechanics of your kicks by practicing it slowly, making sure to focus on each of the four main parts to a kick: Chamber, strike, rechamber, plant.

Leave the leg loose and relaxed. The tenser the leg muscles are, the less power, speed, and flexibility you have. Leave the leg completely relaxed and snap the weight of your foot.

Totally agree there, 'kime' or tension should only be at the "Point of Impact" not before and not after, glad your back Chen Zen

Electric Blue

Why would you want to leave your leg sticking out up in the air to be grabbed?

"fully extend and stay there"

IMO you should be pulling it back as fast as you can after you sink the kick into whatever you are hitting.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the question.

This is very important. First get the mechanics down, then add speed and strength.

We have beginners gradually work on the heigth of their kicks. Knee heigth > belt heigth > chest heigth and maybe eventually head heigth, but the latter isn't necessary.
Also make shure to stretch out the foot so your instep is in line with your shin and pull those toes up.

Good luck!

Well one of our 2nd don black belts said
that there is not enough power in my right fount
Kick. Because I was snapping it back to quickly,
and not extending it through the target. This was
during pad practice.

Don't aim for the front surface of the pad aim for the back of the pad, using the same sequence as explained. THIS will give you "more power"

Electric Blue

Ah!....Now I get it...thought you were trying to "strike a pose" with the kick. My mistake

What Dobb said above.

You want to aim through the target, not trying to hit the pad on the surface you want to try and hit the hand of the person holding it.

Don't aim for the "surface" try and drive "through" the target itself.

The speed of retraction has very little effect on the power of the kick BTW. Its a question of hitting through/deep then getting it out.

Pro boxers hit pretty hard and they get their hands back quick.

Make sure you also use the hip and bring the body forward vs just kicking with the leg.