Side Kicks - nasty sons o' guns!

Timmy

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I think a lot of people use "turning" for forward turns (like a round kick) and "spinning" for kicks that turn toward the rear.

Do you think side kicks are mostly not very useful and over rated in their effectiveness? (The regular side kick with the lead leg)
 

Jaeimseu

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Do you think side kicks are mostly not very useful and over rated in their effectiveness? (The regular side kick with the lead leg)

I think sidekicks are useful situationally, but that those situations don't present themselves all that often. I think a lead leg sidekick can be used as a change of pace to set up something else or to create some space for a follow-up kick. Personally, I don't use sidekick much at all.
 
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Buka

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Funny, I was playing with that just this afternoon.

I'm glad Timmy posted on this thread, because maybe we were talking about two different things. (both of which I like) Gwai Lo Dan, were you talking about a turning side kick that spins towards the rear (what I think of as a back kick) or a turning side kick that turns towards the front?
 
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Buka

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People land the turning side kick quite often, you said it isnt a fighters kick, well it is used alot by fighters, and causes a fair amount of body shot knockouts, go check out cung le's highlight if you want.

You could post yourself throwing the side kick on a heavy bag if you have the courage to post yourself online (you dont have to show your face so as to keep it anonymous )

Timmy, my apologies if we got off on the wrong foot. But, since you brought up the above - do you have a youtube vid of yourself I can check out? I'm always willing to learn.
 

hoshin1600

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when i was around 17 i had a MA mentor who was 50 and the most bad *** old school tae kwon guy i have ever seen. we would swing the 80 pound heavy bag untill the bottom swung higher then my head, then as it came forward we would "cross behind" step and slam that puppy. he could rip out the stitching and twist and tear the metal S hooks at will. i would practice the side kick like this for years and years everyday. anyone who says the kick is ineffective has no clue. when done properly it is in no way a push. the problem is not in the kick but rather in the kickers ablity and know how for a good delivery. the timing on when to throw it makes all the difference.
DISLAIMER: i do not advise anyone to swing and kick a heavy bag. the damage within the knee joint from the compression can be severe. ....trust me.
 

RTKDCMB

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Its an overrated kick.

Not if youdo it right.

Its like a powerful push kick or teep. Its pushy and feels strong, but it lacks the KO power round kicks etc have.

Then you would be doing it wrong.

Effective and worth mastering? No

Its a rubbish kick imo and I have it down real well.

That is your opinion and while I can respect your opinion I respectfully disagree.

Bill Wallace would get beat badly against modern Kickboxers and Thai fighters, I wouldnt pay too much attention to him, the game has changed and improved alot since then.

That is easy to say when you haven't fought him or trained with him.
 

Gwai Lo Dan

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I'm glad Timmy posted on this thread, because maybe we were talking about two different things. (both of which I like) Gwai Lo Dan, were you talking about a turning side kick that spins towards the rear (what I think of as a back kick) or a turning side kick that turns towards the front?
I was saying that I was practising the rear leg side kick, turning towards the front (not the back), with a slide forward on the read leg.

I used to practice turning side kick (back kick with more rotation), and switched to practising the back kick much more often instead, since it got to a point where I was never doing a back kick (only turning side kick).

I do like Joe Rogan's explanation of the side kick and turning side kick, and he mentions Cung Lee in MMA (which someone mentioned above). At one point I started a post on turning side kick vs back kick, so I won't resurrect that discussion :)

 
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Buka

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That's a nice vid, I had never seen that. Rogan sure has a great back kick. Great explanation, too.
 

Balrog

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Do any of you love and respect the side kick as much as I do? True, I love most kicks, always have, always will, but a good side kick is a game changer. I have been hit by every conceivable kick from probably every art, but nothing quite feels like getting tagged with a well thrown side kick.

Those who don't really study and train kicks will never have a tactical understanding of how they can be used. But for a kicker - oh, man.

Do you guys do a lot of training with side kicks? Just in class or on your own in addition to class?

Oh, yeah. Mr. Sidekick is definitely your best friend. I'm not talking about the little snap kick, either. I'm talking about the full chamber sidekick that can knock down an elephant.
 
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Buka

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Oh, yeah. Mr. Sidekick is definitely your best friend. I'm not talking about the little snap kick, either. I'm talking about the full chamber sidekick that can knock down an elephant.

Now, you're talking!
 

ks - learning to fly

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I love the side kick - a close second to the roundhouse, my favorite - and the versatility of it!!
Used it in sparring the other day and knocked my opponent off their feet with a sliding side kick - that was awesome!!
 

Earl Weiss

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See Cung Lee use it in MMA it does NOTHING, see Anderson Silva and Bones Jones use it NOTHING see many others use it, it doesn't snap legs unless the person doesn't know how to bend their knees.

Its a rubbish kick imo and I have it down real well.

.

I think Frank Shamrock would disagree.



So would others who ate the kicks from Jones and Silva.

Have you power tested the side Kick on Standard 1 x 12 #2 Pine? Stationary lead leg (Like a defensive Kick. Rear Leg or step / skip? What were the results / How many boards?
 
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Gorilla

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Its an overrated kick.

Its like a powerful push kick or teep. Its pushy and feels strong, but it lacks the KO power round kicks etc have.

If you think its a game changer you probably dont have much experience fighting or are fighting poor fighters.

Good to have in the arsenal? Possibly yes

Effective and worth mastering? No

See Cung Lee use it in MMA it does NOTHING, see Anderson Silva and Bones Jones use it NOTHING see many others use it, it doesn't snap legs unless the person doesn't know how to bend their knees.

Its a rubbish kick imo and I have it down real well.

Bill Wallace would get beat badly against modern Kickboxers and Thai fighters, I wouldnt pay too much attention to him, the game has changed and improved alot since then.

The turning side kick on the other hand well thats a different story, a different animal, its a high risk high reward kick. Whether you should use it is debatable, more intelligent fighters tend to not use it and rely more on conservative techniques.

Ok...whatever????
 

Metal

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I love the sidekick in most of it's versions.


I'm too old for competitions, but whenever I spar I always throw them in every now and then. One of my favorite moves is going in with a front leg high sidekick, instead of chambering the leg again after the kick I just bend the knee and if my sparring partner goes in to counter (if he thinks I'm going to drop my leg) I snap my lower part of the leg and make it a light and fast roundhouse to the head. Not useful in self defense or to knock out somebody, but useful when it comes to the current WTF rule set and it's fun in sparring. Most of the time it only works once though. ^^


And it's awesome to stop your opponent. Unless it's a super fast TKD player who's competing regularly. :)


Regarding power:


I love to use sidekicks for board breaking, too. So far I did spinning and rear leg sidekicks - both being fast and powerful enough to easily break 1.2" of wood.


And besides that I think it's one of the nicest looking kicks, too. And I mean hey, the flying sidekick is one of Tarkwondo's signature moves and a must have for anyone who has TKD pics taken.
 
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Buka

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I found an old side kick pic I thought you guys might get a kick out of (pun intended)

2jb0cn.jpg

The family that kicks together, sticks together. We're still kicking. We just don't wear the funny clothes. :)
 

Manny

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One of my favorite kicks is the spining side kick and turning back kick tee-chagui, very simple when I had conected one of these the other guy went down, in a seminar a few days back doing a self defense tech I just trew a nice back kick with no intention I mean the kick was not loaded or was with no intetion to harm, I just touched the other guy solar plexus but got all his atention, he felt the sting, I apologyze and told the guy my kick wasn't intended to hurt but he just smile and told me... Manny it was in the right spot!! I just felt it imagine if you put all your force in that kick!!!

Manny
 

Cho, Yeonsoo

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Do any of you love and respect the side kick as much as I do? True, I love most kicks, always have, always will, but a good side kick is a game changer. I have been hit by every conceivable kick from probably every art, but nothing quite feels like getting tagged with a well thrown side kick.

Those who don't really study and train kicks will never have a tactical understanding of how they can be used. But for a kicker - oh, man.

Do you guys do a lot of training with side kicks? Just in class or on your own in addition to class?
hurts like a Mo F**** when the other guy misses and hits you on the bare shoulder instead... It is an amzing kick when well placed. I ended a match with a reverse side kick counter to the chest, he just collapsed... I was down by 3 points at the time too

another amazing kick has to be the hook kick... I was watching an amature match, since his opponent was taller, the Hong fighter couldn't quite reach his head well... so what does he do? decides to completely bends down to the point where he falls, but scores an amazing game-ender to the head with a hook
 

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