Side kick

[Kenpoguy123]

So I was watching an interview with Keith vitali on a jackie Chan DVD and he was talking about his martial art training and he said he changed the way he did his side kick he said he got rid of the chamber in it and just threw it out there and it made it faster and harder to defend.

I don't really agree with that If I'm honest. I see his point but after watching it I tried it and it just didnt feel good. I guess it'd work for point fighting but there's no real power from doing it like that I found but it works for him and he was a full contact fighter as well. Any other opinions on that techique that he described?

Edit: here's the actual interview it's at 2:30 he talks about the kick but the whole interview is very interesting

 

[Midnight-shadow]

I don't understand how you can even do a side kick without chambering your leg at the start. Surely no matter what you do there is always going to be some chambering in there, otherwise it wouldn't be a side kick. You can reduce the amount of chamber, but not get rid of it completely. Am I missing something here? Also, assuming you can completely get rid of the chamber and still perform the kick, sure it would be faster but in my opinion the reason you do a side kick is for the added power you get from twisting your hip and chambering the leg. Otherwise you might as well do a snapping front kick instead, which is a lot faster and easier to pull off in a fight.

 

[Kenpoguy123]

I don't understand how you can even do a side kick without chambering your leg at the start. Surely no matter what you do there is always going to be some chambering in there, otherwise it wouldn't be a side kick. You can reduce the amount of chamber, but not get rid of it completely. Am I missing something here?

The chamber where you lift your leg into position before throwing it out

 

[Midnight-shadow]

The chamber where you lift your leg into position before throwing it out

So what do you do instead? Keep your leg straight as you lift it up and then snap it in and out? I think I need to see a video of this being done because I have no idea how you can even pull this off (unless of course your definition of a side kick is different to mine).

 

[drop bear]

I don't understand how you can even do a side kick without chambering your leg at the start. Surely no matter what you do there is always going to be some chambering in there, otherwise it wouldn't be a side kick. You can reduce the amount of chamber, but not get rid of it completely. Am I missing something here? Also, assuming you can completely get rid of the chamber and still perform the kick, sure it would be faster but in my opinion the reason you do a side kick is for the added power you get from twisting your hip and chambering the leg. Otherwise you might as well do a snapping front kick instead, which is a lot faster and easier to pull off in a fight.

Side kick has a bit more range and is harder to parry.

 

[Kenpoguy123]

So what do you do instead? Keep your leg straight as you lift it up and then snap it in and out? I think I need to see a video of this being done because I have no idea how you can even pull this off (unless of course your definition of a side kick is different to mine).

Yes that's what I'm saying

 

[Flatfish]

Might depend on what you use the kick for. For a power kick I'll chamber as much as I can. If I'm just jamming the other guy's advance I might chamber not so much and just throw the leg up there for quickness.

 

[Kenpoguy123]

Actually just found the interview go to 2:30

 

[Midnight-shadow]

Actually just found the interview go to 2:30

Ok, so I watched his version of a side kick (I assume what he shows in the video is his unchambering side kick) and as I thought, there is still a chamber in there, but a lot less than what you'd normally have in a side kick. Actually, his side kick is very similar in technique to mine, as I also don't chamber my leg all that much.

 

[Kenpoguy123]

Ok, so I watched his version of a side kick (I assume what he shows in the video is his unchambering side kick) and as I thought, there is still a chamber in there, but a lot less than what you'd normally have in a side kick. Actually, his side kick is very similar in technique to mine, as I also don't chamber my leg all that much.

It might not be his version shown in there because even though that's his way he might still teach the traditional way in his schools

 

[Kenpoguy123]

Also here's a couple fight videos of vitali where he uses his side kick in them

He's the one in the red gi and wow just watching him he is a very good fighter

 

[Touch Of Death]

So what do you do instead? Keep your leg straight as you lift it up and then snap it in and out? I think I need to see a video of this being done because I have no idea how you can even pull this off (unless of course your definition of a side kick is different to mine).

You simply push off your base leg, which means you really need to be down in stance. We call it a Pull-Drag Kick.

 

[Midnight-shadow]

Also here's a couple fight videos of vitali where he uses his side kick in them

He's the one in the red gi and wow just watching him he is a very good fighter

Dang, those kicks of his (not just his side kicks, but all of them) are very impressive.

 

[Kenpoguy123]

Dang, those kicks of his (not just his side kicks, but all of them) are very impressive.

They are I've known his name for a while but never really looked him up until now I obviously wheels on meals with jackie chan where he was the bad guy I also seen no retreat no surrender 3 where he's the main character but never seen his real fights before, according to the first interview he sparred with benny the jet now that would've been fun to watch

 

[Blindside]

I do the same thing with my sidekicks, but I got it from Bruce Lee.

Bill "Superfoot" Wallace did something similar as well.

 

[RTKDCMB]

They are I've known his name for a while but never really looked him up until now I obviously wheels on meals with jackie chan where he was the bad guy I also seen no retreat no surrender 3 where he's the main character but never seen his real fights before, according to the first interview he sparred with benny the jet now that would've been fun to watch

He was in Sho Kosugi's move Revenge of the Ninja,

 

[RTKDCMB]

Also here's a couple fight videos of vitali where he uses his side kick in them

1:26 - Nice catch.

 

[Ironbear24]

The newer kenpo sidekick that we were taught at my old dojo did not get rid of the chamber, but it made the chamber less big.

It is hard for me to explain without some sort of diagram but a normal side kick is usually you lift the leg like you are going to do a front kick from your fighting stance. The leg at this point should have the side of the leg visible. Then you cock it back and at this point your opponent should see your butt or atleast part of it, then the kick is thrown and the foot you are standing on pivots to 6 o clock. You bring it back and set it down.

That is the traditional way. The new way eliminated the first step completely and instead of lifting it like you are doing a front kick you lift it already chambered and throw the kick as you pivot on your foot.

I hated the new one because it lacks lots of power and the whole point of a sidekick is to have lots of power. It lacks power because it lacks pivot as your body goes through less if a twist motion.

I am sorry if this is confusing but this is very hard to explain without a drawing or video.

 

[Buka]

There's different ways to throw and hit with a sidekick. It's not what my, or your, or anyone else's idea of what it should look like, it's which way, or ways, it works for you consistently in fighting and sparring. I've eaten a lot of sidekicks, been hit by the best of kickers in Martial Arts many times, in a lot of different ways. I've dished out a few as well, there hasn't been any one consistent way. If you don't chamber, it's a "shortest distance between two points" kind of thing, if you do chamber it's more of a "cocked gun aiming" way. Both can ruin your day if they're thrown at the right time and they hit you with power in the right place.

My wife and I throw sidekicks differently.

But we both can hit with them on a consistent basis. She chambers more than I do and uses a sidekick in different combinations and timing than I do. My foot/ankle position is more American, hers is more classic power from Korean based kicking implemented into kick boxing .

But she had a better teacher than I did. She had me.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Actually just found the interview go to 2:30

He does the side kick that you are talking about around the 3:40 mark. .