A front kick can be delivered forward in a penetrating way (hip thrust), or upwards to attack the head.

Less technically demanding kick utilizing sole of heavy footwear as a striking surface is easier to execute.

For example, a karateka may perform mae geri while standing upright, or lean somewhat back during the attack, intending to increase the reach of the kick.

Hips movement may be used to increase the reach and to thrust one's leg into the target, resulting in more powerful strike (a common practice in taekwondo and some styles of karate).

Front kicks are typically aimed at targets below the chest: stomach, thighs, groin, knees or lower.

Highly skilled martial artists are often capable of striking head-level targets with front kick (albeit rarely use it this way).

The front kick is fast and involves little body motion betraying the technique's nature prior to execution.

When defending, front kick could be used to severely damage the lower area of the opponent who has started an attack, but has overconcentrated on guarding head/upper body, and as a good tool to keep enemy from punch range.

Also, although well-executed front kick is very fast, a careless execution presents an opponent with excellent opportunity for grappling, which could be disastrous for an attacker.

Once the leg is grappled, a variety of attacks is available to a defender, such as wrestling techniques resulting in pain compliance hold, immediate counterattack with punches, throws, kicks into lower area and combinations of all above.

For this reason, 'recocking' the leg after the kick is truly important, especially in real-life situations, where rules common to many competition martial arts do not apply.

The kick generally connects with the ball of the foot, under the toes, but other points of impact are sometimes used in the many variants existing in Japanese karate and other styles.

In its snapping or keage form the kicker emphasizes the extremely quick retraction or recoil or re-chamber of the foot and the lower leg immediately after impact (thereby making it difficult to catch or grab the leg by the opponent); The keage kick exhibits less pushing force but more breaking impact than the kekomi form of the kick.

In Taekwondo, one would strike forward with the ankle extended, so that the upper side of the foot forms a straight line with the shin, and with the toes bent back (pointing up).

Having the foot in any other position when directing this kick strictly forward would be considered highly unorthodox, and is a common error among beginners.

This is in tune with the line of thought which seems prevalent in the various taekwondo forms, where the ap chagi is used very extensively in combination with relatively short range hand strikes and blocks, mimicking situations in which it would have to be performed quite quickly.