What Is a Snap Kick in Tae Bo?

Tae Bo, an aerobic exercise program, gets its name from "tae," the Korean word for foot, and "bo," which is short for boxing. This program adopts maneuvers from different martial arts and combines them with aspects of dance to create a cardiovascular workout set to music. A snap kick is a common martial arts movement used in Tae Bo, but it should not be confused with "snapping" a kick, as this can lead to injury.

  1. Snap Kick Technique

    • To begin a basic snap kick, keep both feet on the floor. Then bend the knee of the kicking leg and raise it in front of you to a point where you feel like you are still balanced. Point the knee at the target and then kick using only the lower leg, which means the knee should not rise further. A proper snap kick will make contact with the target with either the ball of the foot, instep, ankle or shin. In Tae Bo this target will usually be imaginary, but it may help to pretend there is an actual target to strike.

    Risk of Snapping a Kick

    • A snap kick is not the same as "snapping" a kick. Snapping a kick involves throwing a kick and then immediately reversing the motion to bring the leg back to the body. This can be dangerous, because the snapping motion puts extra stress on the joints and can cause knee hyperextension, especially when there is no physical target to stop the motion of the kick. Although "snapping" a kick may give the appearance of control and allow for a faster recovery, it increases the risk of injury.

    Protecting Yourself

    • Many martial artists practice their kicks against a heavy bag or some other target to help prevent hyperextension of the joints; doing this will provide a natural "brake" on the movements. Because Tae Bo does not typically incorporate heavy bags or other physical targets, maintaining control over the snap kick is important. All kicks and punches should be stopped before full extension takes place. The motion of all the joints should be under control, even if it means going through the workout at a slower pace.

    Differences

    • One of the main differences between a snap kick in Tae Bo and a snap kick in standard martial arts is that Tae Bo is an exercise program, not a form of self defense. As a result, Tae Bo does not teach the mechanics and body positioning necessary to throw a kick accurately and powerfully at a target. This means that practicing a snap kick as part of a Tae Bo workout will not necessarily lead to the snap kick being effective as a form of self defense. The maneuvers taught in Tae Bo should never be considered a replacement for traditional self-defense training.