Okay, I just visited Unstoppable’s website. And I’m convinced that his screen name should be changed to ‘Unreadable’ or perhaps ‘Laughable.’ It’d be a pretty decent parody if they got an editor to go over it.
Stuart B.
I agree with Kaitain that the side kick should be used low. If fact, I think any kick should be low in a street situation. But that’s a whole other thread.
Just looked at Unstoppable’s website. Gotta be a joke website. And if its looked at that way, its pretty good 
one of my favourite MA anecdotes
Student - “Sensei, when will we learn head kicks?”
Sensei - “but this is a headkick”
Sensei kicks at knee height
Student - “I don’t get it”
Sensei - “put someone’s head there and kick it, hey presto! a head kick”
There are so many hilarious quotes on that site I don’t know where to start! Got to be a joke, surely?
I sent them an email:
“Are you serious?”
BWA HA HA HA HA !!
I want to learn the Spider Chi technique
“I think you’re pretty ambitious to try and pull a sidekick above that height - they aren’t fast, they are telegraphed and they don’t have much room for error - if you miss you’re ****ed.”
That depends on how well you know how to use side kicks. You have to consider things like which kind of side kick (front leg, back leg), from what kind of stance are you executing it from, which chambering method are you using, are you attacking or countering, where is your opponents focus. Also a well placed side kick to the body is one of the best things in the world.
weight or extension?
It’s more a matter of how close you are to the opponent. You should get used to the length of your leg. If you find that you are being pushed back in your kick then you are too close. A proper side kick should have at the very least 8 inches of clearance for the thrust to the target. You should make contact 2 or 4 inches before full extension. If you make contact BEFORE your thrust, then you end up with a push not a kick.
Rogue has the right idea about use.
Oh and if you lsten carefully to the episode ozzy actually stumbles on that line and says Daftness instead of darkness. But we know what he really meant. 
I’d say that a side kick should travel like a reverse punch (cross)…straight from the hip to the target (like staight from the shoulder to the taget). Right to the opponents gut in most cases.
Good point SifuAbel. If you’re too close, you jam yourself and then push yourself off of the target.
Stuart B.
When I do my sidekicks, it’s either a snapping or thrusting. With thrusting, you have to move forward just like a front thrust kick. With the side-snap, I keep my weight neutral on my standing leg and my body fairly upright w/ minimum lean-back. I just find it’s better for me to throw multiple kicks from that position
When we practiced side kicking the air sheild the object was to move the other guy back out of his stance. Only my best kicks were able to move my training partner. Some forward momentum is needed for maximum power, with the way I deliver a sidekick. In the most common version, this can be acheived simply by bringing up the rear foot to the front foot.
I think you should look at the type of side kick you are throwing. if it’s a side snap kick, you are merely snapping the leg out. it’s not a power technique, so there is no need to lean forward or backward. Doing so would merely telegraph your technique. If you are doing a thrust kick, you get more power (at leas I do) by leaning back. The power comes from the pivot and the thrust of the leg. for me this is achieved easier by putting the weight back, but you don’t want to lean too far back as then you are more offbalance and susceptible to takedowns. Also, your recovery time is slower. If you are doing a stepping sidekick, momentum comes into play, and you really do not have to lean back in oreder to get power into it.
snizap…
Whip your kick towards the target bringing it back as fast as you can. In order to get power, kick through the target bringing your leg back just before you lock your knee out. The supporting leg should never be fully locked either as this will affect balance, making you susceptible to being pushed over if the target moves into you. Strike with the heal, ideally, but the blade of the foot is fine, too. Keep your body straight, don’t lean back too much when you kick. This will help counterbalance your weight if he charges into you.
At first learn to chamber your sidekick. If it’s a standing side-kick bring your knee and thigh to your hip (90o) with your foot parallel to the ground. Coordinate a slight twisting motion of your lead hip towards your target and rear foot rotation (pivoting on the ball not heal) towards the rear corner (not too much though). This chambering will help you get the kick above your opponents own incoming kicks, and gives you the added benefit of gravity to enhance power. Later on you won’t need to perform such a noticeable chamber. Kick at the stomach or solar plexus level, never higher. Be in your guard protecting your head and body. Keep your lead elbow close to your hip in order to protect your floating ribs and lateral abdomen. This is an example of a more thrusting kick, with quick retraction.
Side kicks can be done by turning the foot inward and whipping a front kick out with a torquing motion. In other words it is a front snap kick where the foot rotates inwards and the blade of the foot is used to strike the abdomen or lower, middle and upper portion of the opponents legs. It can be whipped straight up with just a slight chambering, and is useful as a stop-kick against offensive minded types, or an attack to the inguinal crease that will stop your opponent from rushing in. If you control your opponent in close and are standing, follow up whip kicks with the heel, toe-tips and blade of the foot can be executed to his inner thighs and medial knee area, destroying his base and leading to a sweep or other takedown.
Sorry for the length. I thought I’d add that last little tech just in case ya’ll train for “whipping” leg sweeps and kicks. The front facing sidekick of some Okinawan styles is prevalent in a lot of the Southern Chinese styles.
Hope this helps…
i think most of ppl must hav written(just skimmed thru posts)
in TKD we do side kick from the lead leg, it’s much of skipping/hopping… u skip then came on back leg n shoot the lead leg into opnt. after contact pull it back n for balance get in the same stance as u were… if ur opnt is double sized to u…he’ll be stopped immediately n most probably hav his ribs broken…
-TkdWarrior-
If you’re counting on getting your power from falling forward into the target, then you’re not going to get anything out of it anyways. You should concentrate more on the dynamics of how you expand outward from your base.
Transferring your weight into a punch or kick can be a big part of the force of the strike.
here to there…
Originally posted by fa_jing
Transferring your weight into a punch or kick can be a big part of the force of the strike.
I agree. Training for speed will help in power distribution. If you are doing a TKD or Karate style skipping sidekick, the same principles will apply but weight transferrence is aided by the body’s forward momentum. Using the hips a little, sinking with low-line kicks, quick retraction while keeping your kicks supple and relaxed. Relaxed power can compensate for lack of weight or muscular power.
Some folks have recommended leaning forward or back. I would suggest the middle path and say that balance should be centered, neither forward or back. If you have to lean then slightly forward would be best. No need to overthrust and leave a leg out to be caught. Bring your leg back and down quickly.
A little “english” behind your kick coupled with speed, and your kicks will get strong and fast ,quickly. It’s worked for many I know, and I ain’t got to tell ya’ these things (SUPER SECRETS OF THE UCHINANCHU BUSHI, hahaha) but oh well…Good luck, be cool and remember, speed kills!