Flying kick

Did You Know?

• Effective accomplishment of a flying kick relies on mental preparation combined with athletic condition, including visualizing the kick before execution.
• A correctly performed flying kick requires the individual to land on their feet while keeping balance.

History

The development and spread of flying kick techniques in Asian martial arts occurred mainly from the 1930s to the 1950s. Chinese martial arts influenced traditional Okinawan arts from the late 1940s, particularly Shorinji Kempo, which evolved into karate and later taekwondo. Taekwondo's focus on spinning, jumping, and flying kicks emerged in the 1960s.

Practicality and purpose

The effectiveness of a jump kick in combat sports or self-defense is debated, but the move is popular for demonstrations, showing skill and control, as a dance move, or in cinema. Flying kicks are considered among the most difficult martial arts techniques to perform correctly. Trainer Yeon Hwan Park argued in a 1991 essay that training flying kicks helps students transcend mental barriers by overcoming physical challenges, giving them confidence. He did not recommend their use in tournaments but suggested they could be effective in self-defense once mastered.

In fiction

The crane kick is a stylized version of the flying kick, known in Japanese as Mae tobi geri, invented by Darryl Vidal for the 1984 movie The Karate Kid. To perform it, the fighter balances on one leg in a karate stance, then launches into a jumping kick with that same leg. Because the film was so popular, the crane kick became closely linked with karate in the United States and boosted the martial art's popularity there. In the original movie, Mr. Miyagi shows the move first, and Daniel LaRusso watches and later learns it.

Daniel uses the crane kick most famously in the final match to beat his rival Johnny Lawrence. The kick appears briefly in The Karate Kid Part II, and the TV series Cobra Kai references it heavily. In that show, both Miguel Diaz and Johnny use the kick to make fun of Daniel, while Daniel himself employs it in the Season 5 finale to defeat Terry Silver. During the series finale, Daniel admits the kick only worked on Johnny because Johnny charged straight into it.

While training Johnny for the Sekai Taikai final, the two practice the crane kick on the beach. In Johnny's fight with Sensei Wolf, which happens at the same location as the 1984 match, Johnny remembers Daniel's victory and takes a defensive stance instead of attacking first. This causes Wolf to strike first, allowing Johnny to counter and win.