Machida Flying Kick! 3 steps to learn the famous Machida Flying Front kick
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Flying Front Kick·Machida Karate
Kick like Lyoto Machida and Daniel San! Sensei Chinzo Machida teaches in 3 steps how you can do the famous Machida flyi…
Flying Front Kick
SubFamily飛び前蹴り(Tobi Mae-geri)
TraditionalTranslation: flying front kick
Overview
The Flying Front Kick subfamily covers front kicks executed while the attacker is airborne, combining a forward leap with a linear front kick thrust to strike the opponent's face, chest, or midsection with increased range and momentum. [1] The jumping motion adds bodyweight and forward momentum to the kick, making the flying front kick substantially more powerful than its grounded counterpart. [1],[2] The technique requires explosive leg power for the jump and precise timing to extend the kicking leg at the apex of the leap. [2],[3]
History & Origin
Flying front kicks are found in taekwondo (twi-myo ap chagi), karate, and numerous kung fu styles, where aerial techniques have been developed for centuries. [1] The technique gained massive public attention when Lyoto Machida and Anderson Silva both used flying front kicks for high-profile UFC knockouts in 2011, citing their karate backgrounds as the source of the technique. [2],[3]
Effectiveness
The flying front kick launches forward with a thrusting front kick in the air. [1]
Lineage
Found in TKD, karate, and MMA. [1]
Competition Record
Used in MMA; Anderson Silva's flying front kick KO of Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 is one of MMA's most iconic finishes. [1]
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Ballistic leg extension or rotation — the shin or foot impacts the target at high velocity
Joints Involved — Hip (flexion/rotation), knee (extension for front kicks, flexion-extension for roundhouse), ankle (stabilised)
Force Vector — Linear (front kick/teep — hip flexion and knee extension) or rotational (roundhouse — hip rotation with shin contact)
Kinetic Chain — Pivot foot rotation → hip turn → femur whip → shin contact — the leg acts as a heavy bat with the hip as the pivot
Position & Entry
From fighting stance (lead leg) — Chamber the knee, extend the foot forward pushing with the ball of the foot or heel, snap back
As push kick (teep) — Drive the foot into the opponent's body to maintain distance and disrupt their advance
From rear leg (power) — Step through with the rear leg, driving the hip forward for maximum pushing force
Videos
The Front Kick is The Best Kick in Martial Arts
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Flying Front Kick·hard2hurt
My Front Kick Focus course is available at http://hard2hurt.teachable.com @SenseiSeth has a sidekick course at http://…
2 videos
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
7
Very High7/10
Airborne kicks maximize momentum; high injury risk to both fighters
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Expert
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Illegal
WBC/Boxing — All kicks prohibited in boxing {src— WBC Rules of Boxing}
Legal
— Unified MMA — Legal striking technique
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDFKyokushin — Legal at full power to body and head {src— IKO Kyokushin Tournament Rules}
— WT — Legal, body kick 2 points, head kick 3 points, spinn...
WT Competition Rules 2024PDF— WAKO — Legal in Full Contact and Low Kick formats
WAKO Competition RulesPDFK-1/GLORY — Legal {src— K-1/GLORY Kickboxing Rules}
— IFMA — Legal — kicks are a core Muay Thai technique
IFMA Muay Thai RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓Leap forward off the rear foot and drive the lead or rear foot straight into the target while airborne
✓The flying front kick bridges distance with a linear thrust to the face or midsection
✓Drive the non-kicking knee upward to generate the leap, then extend the kicking leg
✓Contact with the ball of the foot or the heel, depending on karate or Muay Thai mechanics
✓Anderson Silva's flying front kick KO of Vitor Belfort is the most famous example in MMA history
✓Time the flying front kick when the opponent is moving forward into you — their momentum adds to the impact
✓The kick should land at the peak of the forward leap, when horizontal momentum is greatest
Common Mistakes
!Jumping too high and losing the horizontal drive that makes the kick powerful
!Not extending the kicking leg fully, resulting in a knee or a weak push
!Landing on one foot in an unstable position after the kick
!Leaping from too far away so the kick falls short of the target
!Not using the arms for balance and allowing the body to rotate uncontrollably in the air
!Throwing the flying front kick against a prepared opponent who simply sidesteps — it is a committed, linear technique
!Not chambering the kicking leg in the air before extending — the chamber creates the snap
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Stance and Range — verify correct distance for the kick to land at full extension
2Chamber the Leg — lift the knee to prepare the kicking trajectory
3Execute the Kick — extend the leg through the target with the appropriate striking surface
4Recover — retract the leg and return to fighting stance
Sources & References
Primary Source
Karate-Do Kyohan: The Master Text (Gichin Funakoshi, 1935)
1BookMuay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus, 2002)
Alias sources — [1] Kukkiwon Taekwondo Textbook (Kukkiwon, 2006) [2] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966) [3] Taekwondo: The State of the Art (Park, 1989)
2BookKarate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts (Draeger & Smith, 1969)
Official karate technique names (和語/漢語)
4OtherJapanese Martial Arts Standard Terminology (武道用語)
Established Japanese martial arts naming convention — native Japanese term (和語/漢語)
5CitationMuay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus, 2002)
Alias sources — [1] Kukkiwon Taekwondo Textbook (Kukkiwon, 2006) [2] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966) [3] Taekwondo: The State of the Art (Park, 1989)
6CitationKarate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts (Draeger & Smith, 1969)
Community
Athletics
Requires
hip flexion power, knee extension speed, balance
Favours
long legs for range, hip flexibility
Key muscles
hip flexors, quadriceps, tibialis anterior, core
Sub-techniques
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you stay relaxed while performing a flying front kick?
Keep your upper body relaxed and loose rather than tense, as tension prevents you from executing a good kick. Focus on relaxing in your center as you move forward with your hips before extending the kick.
What's the key to making a flying front kick effective against an opponent?
Break your opponent's timing and confuse them by setting up the kick with feints or multiple movements, so they contract their body in defense to the first setup. This timing disruption makes the actual technique land with greater power and effect.
Can a front kick be thrown from different distances?
Yes, the front kick can be executed effectively from any range—from close distance to far away—unlike some other kicks that only work within specific ranges.
How does the Flying Front Kick work?
The Flying Front Kick subfamily covers front kicks executed while the attacker is airborne, combining a forward leap with a linear front kick thrust to strike the opponent's face, chest, or midsection with increased range and momentum. The jumping motion adds bodyweight and forward momentum to the kick, making the flying front kick substantially more powerful than its grounded counterpart.
Where does the Flying Front Kick come from?
Flying front kicks are found in taekwondo (twi-myo ap chagi), karate, and numerous kung fu styles, where aerial techniques have been developed for centuries. The technique gained massive public attention when Lyoto Machida and Anderson Silva both used flying front kicks for high-profile UFC knockouts in 2011, citing their karate backgrounds as the source of the technique.
Is the Flying Front Kick legal in competition?
Unified MMA: legal — Legal striking technique; WBC/Boxing: banned — All kicks prohibited in boxing; WKF: legal — Legal, chudan (body) kick scores 2 points, jodan (head) kick scores 3 points; Kyokushin: legal — Legal at full power to body and head; WT: legal — Legal, body kick 2 points, head kick 3 points, spinning body 4 points, spinni…; WAKO: legal — Legal in Full Contact and Low Kick formats; K: legal — 1/GLORY — Legal; IFMA: legal — Legal — kicks are a core Muay Thai technique
How dangerous is the Flying Front Kick?
Danger rating 7/10. Very High — airborne kicks maximize momentum; high injury risk to both fighters
How do I set up the Flying Front Kick?
The standard setup chain: Stance and Range → Chamber the Leg → Execute the Kick → Recover.
How do I defend against the Flying Front Kick?
Standard counters include: Check (Shin Block) — raise the shin to intercept the kick before it lands / Catch and Sweep — catch the kicking leg and sweep the standing leg / Step Inside — close distance inside the kick's effective range to smother it.
What are the variants of the Flying Front Kick?
Common variants: Push kick (teep) (pushing the opponent away with the ball of the foot); Snap front kick (snapping the foot to the target and quickly retracting); Side teep (angled teep pushing the opponent laterally); Body teep (driving into the solar plexus or chest for maximum push-back).
How effective is the Flying Front Kick in competition?
Used in MMA; Anderson Silva's flying front kick KO of Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 is one of MMA's most iconic finishes.
What are common mistakes when doing the Flying Front Kick?
Top errors to watch for: Jumping too high and losing the horizontal drive that makes the kick powerful / Not extending the kicking leg fully, resulting in a knee or a weak push / Landing on one foot in an unstable position after the kick / Leaping from too far away so the kick falls short of the target.
What are other names for the Flying Front Kick?
The Flying Front Kick is also known as Tobi Mae-geri, Twi-eo Ap Chagi, Tobi Mae Geri, Jumping Front Kick.