Kickboxing
Front Kick-Cross
The Front Kick-Cross pairs a front kick with a straight punch from your rear hand. It trains coordinated leg and upper-body movement, balance, and control between strikes.
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Moderate injury risk
- Rest 45 sec
How to do it
- Stand with your left foot forward, right foot back, knees slightly bent, and fists beside your cheeks.
- Lift your left knee in front of your waist.
- Extend your left foot forward into a controlled front kick, with your toes pulled back.
- Bend your left knee to draw the kicking foot back beneath it.
- Place your left foot back in its original position.
- Punch your right fist straight forward at shoulder height while rotating your right hip forward on the ball of your right foot.
- Return to your starting stance with both fists beside your cheeks.
Form cues
- Keep your supporting knee soft.
- Exhale briefly with each strike.
- Keep your punching wrist straight.
- Keep your non-punching hand up.
Common mistakes
- Leaning far back during the kickLower your kick height so you can keep your torso nearly upright.
- Landing on a tightropeKeep some side-to-side space between your feet rather than placing them on one narrow line.
- Reaching too far with the crossShorten the punch so your weight stays within your base of support.
Safety
Losing balance during the kick-to-punch transition can cause a fall or twist a planted knee. Snapping strikes to full lockout in the air can strain your knee or elbow.
- Practice without contact on a dry, nonslip surface with clear space around you.
- Rehearse each strike separately at low speed before combining them.
- Stop each strike just short of locking the joint.
- End the set if fatigue makes your landings unstable.
If you have knee, hip, ankle, or shoulder pain, or difficulty balancing on one leg, use a smaller range of motion and seek professional advice if symptoms persist.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
No equipment needed.
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 6–10 reps per side
- Rest
- 45 sec
Count one complete kick-cross sequence as one rep; reverse your stance to practice the other side.