Back side kick

[Gaucho]

I recall seeing this kick in print somewhere and can't recall which fighting style it belonged to. It was carried out similarly to a side kick, but the foot was aimed to the rear and not as high as some kickers do side kicks. It was actually classified as a separate kick, not just a sub-kick of side kick. I would appreciate if someone could suggest which style/s this kick belongs to.
Thank you.

 

[CB Jones]

I recall seeing this kick in print somewhere and can't recall which fighting style it belonged to. It was carried out similarly to a side kick, but the foot was aimed to the rear and not as high as some kickers do side kicks. It was actually classified as a separate kick, not just a sub-kick of side kick. I would appreciate if someone could suggest which style/s this kick belongs to.
Thank you.

TKD and/or Korean Karate

 

[CB Jones]

This what you are talking about

 

[Headhunter]

Pretty much every style that uses kicks

 

[Danny T]

First learned this in Shotokan and again in TKD. Have used it in Muay Thai and Pekiti-Tirsia but the set ups are different.

 

[pdg]

Terminology varies between arts too.

In the (kkw tkd) vid @CB Jones posted, what is referred to as a "turning side kick" is what we (the itf tkd branch I'm in) call a reverse side kick.

A "back side kick" I can only theorise on...

 

[jobo]

Back side kick ?I though it was where you kicked somebody up the backside

 

[WaterGal]

When I was coming up in KKW TKD, we called it "back side kick" rather than "turning side kick". That was the English term that our Korean master used.

 

[Buka]

I can't think of a Karate style that doesn't have it in it's repertoire. Some version of it anyway.
In American Karate we call it a back kick.

 

[pdg]

I can't think of a Karate style that doesn't have it in it's repertoire. Some version of it anyway.
In American Karate we call it a back kick.

I'm going to disregard the turning element of any kick, just focussing on a kick to the rear.

Does your style differentiate in terminology between rearward kicks if the chamber and finishing angle of the kicking foot is different?

Example, to me a back kick is: the hips stay mainly square throughout, the chamber is directly in line and the kicking foot finishes at between vertical and 45° (toes below heel).

A "back side kick" (or whatever): the hips turn slightly, the chamber is biased to the side a bit and the kicking foot finishes horizontal (toes level with heel). You don't finish fully side facing, but more so than with a back kick.

 

[Buka]

I'm going to disregard the turning element of any kick, just focussing on a kick to the rear.

Does your style differentiate in terminology between rearward kicks if the chamber and finishing angle of the kicking foot is different?

Example, to me a back kick is: the hips stay mainly square throughout, the chamber is directly in line and the kicking foot finishes at between vertical and 45° (toes below heel).

A "back side kick" (or whatever): the hips turn slightly, the chamber is biased to the side a bit and the kicking foot finishes horizontal (toes level with heel). You don't finish fully side facing, but more so than with a back kick.

Our terminology isn't based on position of the foot, rather on the kick itself. American Karate is an eclectic system. In the pic below, on our wedding day, my wife wanted a kicking pic, so we took one. She's throwing more of a sidekick similar to a Korean stylist, I'm throwing an American sidekick. We teach sidekicks in a lot of different ways, you learn them all, and find out which ones do what. She can hit with hers quite well, as can I. In competition, sidekicks were both our money kicks, yet they were totally different.

She likes to point out that she's throwing the better kick. I like to point out she's looking at the Peanut Gallery instead of her target.

In all of our kicking, the primary focus is on end result. All of my students kick a little differently, especially Black Belts.

Take two people, one starts his Martial journey with no flexibility whatsoever, the other, really flexible. It would be nice to think the tighter person will catch up flexibility wise, and he'll certainly loosen up some over the years, but in reality, he's more than likely never going to be as loose. His kicks are always going to be different than the other guy's. But he's still going to learn to hit with them. Just have to train him differently.

If you can kick me in the chest and knock me down, or whatever your goal is with the kick - create distance, injure, part of a combo, whatever - I don't care what position your foot is in, as long as it's not detrimental to your body or to your game. I just want you to be able to apply it to someone who doesn't want you to.

 

[skribs]

In Taekwondo there is a difference between the back kick and the spinning side kick.

The back kick is stronger, but spinning side kick is prettier, so it depends on whether you're going for form vs. function.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I can't think of a Karate style that doesn't have it in it's repertoire. Some version of it anyway.
In American Karate we call it a back kick.

Same term in Nihon Goshin Aikido; I assume we got that term from Shotokan Karate.

 

[pdg]

@Buka - that's an agreeable methodology, it was just a curiosity question on my behalf. We/I just base the terminology on the mechanics of the kick (or vice versa) rather than a broader encompassing based on the direction. In reality it only makes a difference to nerds and form judges

I think I'm at a safe enough distance to say the following: your wife's kick does show a more 'Korean' position (or Japanese/Okinawan possibly) than yours with more emphasis on the footsword than you (that I can make out, given it's difficult to make out your foot) - but - she should be sighting her target as you said, and she should also adjust her technique to take advantage of her footwear... As it is, the heel of her shoe could act as a lever and damage her ankle, had she straightened her ankle up it would have become a nice concentrated surface area weapon

 

[Buka]

@Buka - that's an agreeable methodology, it was just a curiosity question on my behalf. We/I just base the terminology on the mechanics of the kick (or vice versa) rather than a broader encompassing based on the direction. In reality it only makes a difference to nerds and form judges

I think I'm at a safe enough distance to say the following: your wife's kick does show a more 'Korean' position (or Japanese/Okinawan possibly) than yours with more emphasis on the footsword than you (that I can make out, given it's difficult to make out your foot) - but - she should be sighting her target as you said, and she should also adjust her technique to take advantage of her footwear... As it is, the heel of her shoe could act as a lever and damage her ankle, had she straightened her ankle up it would have become a nice concentrated surface area weapon

Yeah, but she's posing for a picture. Her sidekick is as nasty as any. Especially her defensive sidekick. She cut a lot of people in half in her day. I asked her about her foot position when we got the pics developed, some million years ago. She told me "Showing of those shoes, baby."

And yes, hers is the better kick in that photo. But, hey, she had a better instructor than I did.

 

[JowGaWolf]

A "back side kick"

This is more in line with the kicks that I was taught. The toe is pointed downward but it's thrown like a side kick. It's like doing a side kick but turning the hip over so the foot is pointed downward. This type of turning of the hip is more of what you see in a back kick except for we are still looking at our opponent. Our "back kicks" almost have the same toe position except this time the toe is pointing directly at the ground and our back is facing our opponent.

 

[CB Jones]

And yes, hers is the better kick in that photo. But, hey, she had a better instructor than I did.

Maybe so, but you get bonus points for the great "stache".

 

[Gaucho]

A "back side kick" (or whatever): the hips turn slightly, the chamber is biased to the side a bit and the kicking foot finishes horizontal (toes level with heel). You don't finish fully side facing, but more so than with a back kick.

Yes, that one.

 

[Buka]

Maybe so, but you get bonus points for the great "stache".

One does not sport a porn star, eighties cop show moustache and not expect to be made fun of.

Embrace the harangue. Feel the power.

 

[CB Jones]

One does not sport a porn star, eighties cop show moustache and not expect to be made fun of.

Embrace the harangue. Feel the power.

Made fun of?

No, no my friend....a great stache is is nothing to mock.