In CMA the side kick is a weapon used effectively by Kung Fu and San Shou fighters. This like most kicks can be a longer range outside fighting weapon.
Stepping Side Kick-From front or side fighting stance:
Back leg steps or shuffles up, front leg chambers tight to the body.
Kick is thrown straight out, hitting with the heel of the foot.
As the kick is thrown out, roll the hips over to extend through the target.
As with all power kicks, the surface is not the target but rather through the surface.
Skipping Side Kick-From front or side fighting stance:
Back leg steps behind, gaining distance and momentum.
Follow same steps as in Stepping.
Please feel free to add to or list another method if you have one. This technique is very powerful and can be utilized when set up right. One method in Pai Lum we used is to feint with a jab or backfist to throw the opponents guard high than sink the side kick into the lower body. We call this “Pull the Rope”.
Thanks for viewing. Pic of me in full extension doing a side kick on the heavy bag.
I don’t do rear leg side kicks anymore, though they were a staple in my TKD days.
I prefer to use, when I use, the lead leg side kick and typically as a “stop kick” to the waist/hip area, it does a great job of distrubting structure.
BUt on occasion I have found that a good “step-in” side kick to the chest or face ( catch them by surprise) works really well.
Knee is more of s stomping target and not a “true” side kick target.
[QUOTE=sanjuro_ronin;1107974]Seeing your picture, can I ask you something dude?
Do you find that at times you are “turned away” from your target after your kick connects?[/QUOTE]
At times, yes. When you fully commit to the kick and miss or overextend, you can be turned away. This can be dangerous for someone taking your back, which is why my teacher always trained us to re-chamber and get back to fighting stance fast to avoid this.
I do much more shuffling side kicks with the front leg than anything else, I find them the most useful, easier to connect with, and much less dangerous of exposing your back to the clinch if you overextend or miss your target.
[QUOTE=Iron_Eagle_76;1108005]At times, yes. When you fully commit to the kick and miss or overextend, you can be turned away. This can be dangerous for someone taking your back, which is why my teacher always trained us to re-chamber and get back to fighting stance fast to avoid this.
I do much more shuffling side kicks with the front leg than anything else, I find them the most useful, easier to connect with, and much less dangerous of exposing your back to the clinch if you overextend or miss your target.[/QUOTE]
I would suggest that your guard arm ( same arm as kicking leg) is too over your body, towards the inside.
That tends to cause Us to “turn” to the inside when we finish the kick.
See your pic for what I mean.
Thanks for the advice, Ronin. I generally try to keep a higher guard throughout, but sometimes you overextend and power through so much you throw yourself off balance and “turn” as you said. Certainly something to work on.
[QUOTE=Iron_Eagle_76;1108021]Thanks for the advice, Ronin. I generally try to keep a higher guard throughout, but sometimes you overextend and power through so much you throw yourself off balance and “turn” as you said. Certainly something to work on.;)[/QUOTE]
I do the same too, even after decades of kicking, LOL !, such is the imperfection of human nature ( easy way).
try to keep the hand up but the elbow outside, that may do the trick.
Some guys extend the arm as balance and as a nusience.
The biggest problem i see with people with the kick is the stance they used to set it up,They tend to stand to side ways when its thrown and keeping your stance like that limits your mobility and tends to telegraph what you are going to do before you do it.
Since i dont have a camera to record what i’m saying imade a very masterfully drawn picture set by step to how id throw mine
I tend to throw it from a boxing style stance where the feet and the body are at an angle rather than the body being too side ways as the woman in is doing it in her stance.
I believe the only time you should be side ways is when the kick is launched As the 2nd foot position shows i achieve this by quickly shuffling my back leg in line with my front leg AS the front leg is being chambered to kick.
So basically from the first stance it’s just a quickly shuffling of the feet as the leg is being lifted.This allows me to move around and attack with my hands easier in order to set up the kick rather than be restricted with the clumsy side ways stance.
A valid point and good diagram, Goju. One thing I would add though is you don’t want a true boxer’s stance when throwing kicks because of how close the feet will be together as well as most boxers put most of their weight on the front leg to increase power for their jab.
A modified boxing stance is better with the feet a little wider apart and not so much weight distributed on the front. You will have a faster “shuffle” and faster kick all together.
[QUOTE=wenshu;1108180]Can be easy to catch, especially if thrown at the mid section and not retracted quickly enough.[/QUOTE]
I train it daily but I don’t think I’ll ever use it in combat. It’s against my principle of “using kick to set up punches”. I want my opponent to come closer to me. My side kick will force him to move back which is not what I want.
[QUOTE=sanjuro_ronin;1108015]I would suggest that your guard arm ( same arm as kicking leg) is too over your body, towards the inside.
That tends to cause Us to “turn” to the inside when we finish the kick.
See your pic for what I mean.[/QUOTE]
I don’t see that as that much of a problem. It’s one of many variations when throwing the sidekick. Turning the hip over more will increase the power of the kick because it gets more glutes into it. When I tell people to throw that kick the idea is to just punish the opponent whether it gets blocked or not. Second, I tend to like to see them lean down a bit more to avoid getting hit by someone who is a good bit longer than them.
[QUOTE=goju;1108067]The biggest problem i see with people with the kick is the stance they used to set it up,They tend to stand to side ways when its thrown and keeping your stance like that limits your mobility and tends to telegraph what you are going to do before you do it.
Since i dont have a camera to record what i’m saying imade a very masterfully drawn picture set by step to how id throw mine
I tend to throw it from a boxing style stance where the feet and the body are at an angle rather than the body being too side ways as the woman in is doing it in her stance.
I believe the only time you should be side ways is when the kick is launched As the 2nd foot position shows i achieve this by quickly shuffling my back leg in line with my front leg AS the front leg is being chambered to kick.
So basically from the first stance it’s just a quickly shuffling of the feet as the leg is being lifted.This allows me to move around and attack with my hands easier in order to set up the kick rather than be restricted with the clumsy side ways stance.[/QUOTE]
Do you tend to use more snapping side kicks? I have had success with showing the sidekick from a side stance. Reason being is that I intend to deliver a crushing blow that hurts whether it is blocked or not.
