A kick is a powerful strike delivered with the leg, foot, or knee, utilized by humans and hooved animals alike, and serves as a foundational technique in martial arts such as Taekwondo, Muay Thai, and Karate, as well as in sports like soccer. The English verb "to kick" dates to the late 14th century, but high kicks aimed above the waist trace their documented origins to East-Asian martial arts, being introduced to the West in the 19th century via hybrid styles like Savate. While the exact origin is debated—with theories suggesting Northern Chinese martial arts or ancient Korean Taekkyon—historical evidence like the Indian epic Mahabharata (before the 5th century AD) and Khmer Empire carvings confirm kicks have been used for millennia. Because the leg is longer and stronger than the arm, kicks provide excellent range and power, but they inherently compromise balance, requiring a careful trade-off in combat situations. For practical self-defense, experts like Marc Macyoung recommend aiming kicks below the waist to avoid losing balance, making simple low kicks highly effective for real-world scenarios.