Tae Kwan Do Techniques: Side Kick

There are not many kicks in the martial arts that can compare with a regular old sidekick for sheer power

. Sure, other kicks are faster, or more sneaky, or even perhaps more impressive, but anyone who has seen a side kick smash through five or six boards will have no doubts about its effectiveness.

The sidekick is distinguished from its estranged second cousin, the roundhouse kick, both by its method of delivery and by its direction of force. To many beginners, these kicks seem alike, but while the roundhouse kick's direction of force is across your body to the side (parallel to your shoulders), the sidekick's direction of force is straight out in front of you (perpendicular to your shoulders).

Now that we have that cleared up, let's dive into the mechanics of the side kick. This guide will focus on the step-over sidekick, since it is easier to learn than the pivot sidekick is and you are less likely to fall over while trying to learn it. The step-over sidekick can be broken down into six parts. If that sounds like a lot, don't worry -- it's not really that bad.

From a horse-riding stance (straddle stance) or a back stance (T-stance), take your back foot and step in front and over your front foot so that your legs are crossed.

Now, take the same leg (your back leg, which has just become your front leg) and bring your knee up in front of you to chamber -- think of pulling back the cocking handle on a firearm. Your knee should be bent, with your leg straight out in front of you, forming a right angle with your body. Imagine here that you are standing on a great big clock face: when you started, you were standing sideways with your head pointed at 12 o'clock and your toes pointed at 9 o'clock if your right leg is forward. When you stepped over, you brought your knee up so that it too is now pointing at 9 o'clock.

Now for step three, the tricky part. From having your knee pointing at 9 o'clock, you are going to pivot so that it points at 6 o'clock. Your leg that is not kicking should also rotate so that its toes are now pointing at 6 o'clock. Make sure that your head is still looking at 12 o'clock, where your target is. This pivot will allow you to kick much higher than if you simply kicked from 9 o'clock, due to the way your hip joint is structured.

Still with me? Here is the payoff: next, you are going to kick straight out at 12 o'clock. Make sure that you are kicking with the blade part of your foot, on the side of it, and that you lock your leg out as you strike.

Finally, rechamber your foot, return to your stance, and set your foot down. That was fun, right?

by: Jay A. Jenkin

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