I have two side kicks from karate, a snapping and a thrusting. With the snapping the base foot doesn’t turn and with the thrusting the base foot turns about 45 degrees. These aren’t power techniques but work well as kicks to the knee, shin, thigh, hips, and bladder. These are pretty inclose kicks that keep you upright and facing more towards your opponent and still lets you follow up with hand attacks.
In TKD I learned the popular side kick that’s almost a back kick. Great power, good distance, great for body shots, but telegraphs alot and leaves you facing the wrong way if you miss. Not much of a problem in a TKD centric school but a nightmare elsewhere.
Considering that ss uses throws and hands, how is it’s side kick executed and how is it used tactically?
Originally posted by rogue With the snapping the base foot doesn’t turn and with the thrusting the base foot turns about 45 degrees.
hang on, you dont point your base foot away from your target? isnt that why some of the old school karate guys have stuffed hips? I know I do it by accident now and then (usually if im too tired) and it certainly doesnt feel right.
I turn my base foot’s heel toward my side kick target. I don’t have the hip flexibility to do it any other way.
I always focus with the heel of the kicking leg as a striking point. The kick’s follow through determines if it is a snapping kick or a thrusting kick. I’ve never been taught to kick with the side blade of my foot with a side kick.
As the lead knee is raised, the rear foot turns outward and the front hip is thrust forward. The side kick then shoots out in a STRAIGHT line (do not hook it like a round kick). The power comes from the locking of the hip. The buttocks must be tucked in. Also, the locking of the kick keeps the opponent at a distance. The lead leg side kick can be used as a “stop hit” against a rushing opponent or an opponent launching a rear leg kick. The lead leg side kick to the knee can also be used to distract an opponent and set up a clinch.
angle side kick
This is a side kick with your rear leg. Your lead leg steps outward slightly and the kick travels at a 45 degree angle.
steal step side kick
The steal step side kick is a method by which the side kick can be used offensively. While in the fighting stance, the rear leg slides forward behind the front leg and the hip is turned to face the opponent. From this position, the knee is raised and the side kick extended.
If I remember correctly Rogue used to do Okinawan Karate (as opposed to Japanese), which is directly descended from Fujian Kung Fu. When I did Wuzhuquan, the short hand work used to utilise a side kick from a triangle stance in the manner described. I really can’t see how this would damage your hip.
Originally posted by rogue telegraphs alot and leaves you facing the wrong way if you miss.
You can de-telegraph(is that a real word?) this kick if you set it up correctly. If you are sparring you are probably in a side facing position, flip your foward leg heel up to your butt in a relaxed manner and fire the kick just as your heel taps your butt. Snap your hips over as you make contact with your target. If you crunch you leading arm side in and don’t lean you upper body back(which I think is a bad idea for almost any kick) you can decrease the telegraph even more and your hands are ready to follow up. You would only be facing the wrong way if you over rotate into a rear kick. This example would best fit a close range senario.
If you set up your side kick properly, then it can be almost impossible to tell if they are ggoing to throw a hook kick or a side kick until the kick is already on it’s way.
Ben, it used to be 15% Okinawan 85% TKD, now it’s all Okinawan karate. Most kicks we do are below my hip level so for me they’re easier on my body than the TKD kicks to the body. I also like how the Okinawan style side kick is usefull as a counter.
lkfmdc and ST00 and anybody else, how do you chamber the kicking leg?
Is your side kick the same as the TKD sidekick?
Do you guys look to the sidekick as a fight-ender like many TKD fighters do? Fight ender being a relative term.
hang on, you dont point your base foot away from your target?
Not for the kicks below the waist and you can still get some hip into them. Also I’m looking at him from the side and not back over my shoulder. Add to that the chamber having several uses for blocking incoming kicks and shifting the leg out of the way of leg kicks and it’s good from a self defense stand point.If I do the side kick to the body the planted foots heel faces more towards the target.
I noticed people discussing the stance in regards to a sanshou sidekick and that you would be standing sideways. In my humble opinion this should not be so. Sanshou is fought facing the opponenet as opposed to other styles like karate and tae kwon do. The stance is a variation on the boxing stance as well as similar to the hsing yi ‘san ti se’. When I do this kick the important thing that I was taught was to chamber the leg ****her back than is normal and push it out, as opposed to snapping it. The was taought to me by Rudi Ott who was taught by Jason Yee in Boston. I think my sidekick is effective and i have used it in tournaments with success. The difference in the sanshou sidekick is that when you lift your leg up instead of the knee facing forwards or even 45 degrees to the side it should come all the way up to your side and almost touch your chest. If you kick with the right leg the the right knee travels all the way over to the left side almost touching your stomach. It is then pushed out as hard and fast as you can. Once again, my opinion on the sanshou sidekick. Hope it helps.
I have a good set up for the side kick that was taught to me. In the foward facing stance, cross-step behind your kicking leg while keeping your hips squared to your opponent. Flip your kicking leg heel to your butt and fire the kick as you rotate your hips to a side facing position. The supporting leg foot should rotate as the hips rotate so the heel is facing foward as the kick makes contact.
Basic kicks, in my experience, telegraph nothing if you set them up right.
A side thrust kick is set up exactly like a front snap, front thrust, or roundhouse kick. The rear leg is drawn up to waist level. The recoil is to pull the foot back into this chambered position. This allows one to either step back into a fighting stance, side step, moon jump, set up for a spinning creasant kick… just about anything. Rechambering also protects the grion from counter strikes.
Ayron said it, but I’ll say it again. (btw: Hi Ayron!)
A san shou sidekick fires out like a piston and that’s exactly how I think of the mechanics. my knee comes up and across my body, which is slightly turned and contracted and then
BOOM
THRUST! it out and quickly retract.
practice at different ranges to the heavy bag. other than just your optimum range.
At times I will stand right beside the heavy bag and then take one step to my outside. putting me about 18" from the bag and I’m still able to generate alot of power. If you’ve ever had a kick jammed you’ll know why you want power at such an uncomfortable closeness.
I should have mentioned that the sanshou sidekick is different than other style’s sidekicks due to the grappling aspect. Standing sideways would make someome more susceptible to being thrown. I also believe that the thrusting motion is more important than the traditional snapping sidekick due to it’s application. It is used primarily as a penetrating power shot to set up punching and throws. Once again, just my opinion.
