The cut kick is the front leg lifted into the opponent’s attack before it gets going. The push kick (mireo chagi) is the same lift followed by a shove with the sole of the foot. Neither scores much on its own. Their job is to decide who gets to kick next.
The (y-) Sparring page calls this the “cancel”: lift the knee to jam the opponent’s momentum, then go straight into your own kick before they reset. Below is the technique behind it.
(y-) Mental model
The front leg works as a door. When the opponent steps in, you close the door on their hip or their kicking leg. When they stop, you open it and kick through. Most of the skill is timing: lift too early and they wait you out; lift too late and their kick is already past your knee.
(y-) The cut
- Stay in a light bounce, weight a little on the back foot so the front leg is free.
- As the opponent shifts their weight forward to kick, lift the front knee high and slightly across your body. The shin and sole face them.
- Meet their hip or thigh with the sole of your foot, or block the rising leg with your shin and knee. Do not reach for it. Let them walk into it.
- From the lifted position, either put the foot down and counter, or kick from where the leg already is (roundhouse, axe kick, or a second push).
(y-) The push
From the same lift, extend the leg straight with the hips behind it and push through the trunk protector with the sole. Compared with a snapping (y-) Front Kick, the foot stays on the target a moment longer, and the goal is to move the opponent back. If it lands with enough force on the hogu sensor, it scores two.
Under the 2026 boundary rule, any part of the foot crossing the line is a gam-jeom. A clean push toward the edge can force that, as covered on the (y-) Rules page. Grabbing or pushing with the hands is a penalty, so the push has to come from the foot.
(y-) When to use which
| Situation | Choice |
|---|---|
| Opponent rushes in with a back-leg kick | Cut. Jam the hip as they step, then counter off the lifted leg. |
| Opponent stands close and keeps kicking | Push. Create a gap to throw your own long kicks. |
| Opponent near the boundary | Push. Make them step back over the line. |
| Opponent waits for you to lift first | Neither. Fake the lift and kick from a different angle. |
| You are tired late in a round | Cut, to stop their attack without spending energy on a full exchange. |
(y-) Follow-ups off the lifted leg
The lifted front leg is a chamber. Anything that starts from a high front knee can come next without putting the foot down.
| Follow-up | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Front-leg roundhouse | The most direct. The knee is already up, so it lands before they recover. |
| Axe kick | If they hesitate after the cut, keep lifting and drop the heel on the head. See (y-) Axe Kick. |
| Double push | Push, land, push again. Walks them back toward the line. |
| Back-leg spin (after landing) | The cut stops their forward motion and the spin catches them as they reset. See (y-) Spinning Back Kick. |
(y-) Drills
| Drill | How |
|---|---|
| Knee-up reaction | Partner steps forward at random. Lift the front knee as their weight moves, not after their foot lands. |
| Cut and roundhouse | Partner throws a slow back-leg roundhouse. Cut it, then roundhouse to the body without putting the foot down. |
| Push to the line | Start near the middle of the mat. Use only push kicks to move a partner holding a shield to the edge. |
| Lift-or-fake | Show the lift. Partner reacts or does not. If they freeze, kick; if they back off, step in. |
| Tired rounds | At the end of conditioning, two-minute rounds where your only defense is the cut. |
(y-) Common mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Lifting after their kick starts | Watch the hips and the back foot, not the kicking leg. The weight shift comes first. |
| Leg held up too long | Lift, meet, then do something. A leg that hangs in the air is a target for a sweep or a counter. |
| Leaning back while lifting | Keep the upper body over the support foot so you can kick from the lift. |
| Pushing with the toes | Use the sole and drive with the hips. |
| Always cutting | Opponents learn to fake. Mix in stepping off the line and countering instead. |
Sources
(y-) Sparring | (y-) Footwork | (y-) Defense | (y-) Front Kick
(y) Return to Taekwondo | (y) Return to Notes | (y) Return to Home