# Shin Kick and Short Side Kick



## First Action (Jan 20, 2013)

In the midst of your standard street fight, using something as simple as a kick can really put your opponent off. Most untrained people are not expecting it, and usually do not know how to defend against it. Not only will it surprise your opponent, but often it will cause him to drop his guard. Kicks are generally more powerful than hand techniques but are also slower to perform.


Using kicks can be risky, as you are taking one foot off the ground which greatly compromises your balance. You can help to aid your balance when kicking by keeping the grounded leg bent and by only kicking below the waist when there is a definite opening . In general, the height of your knee will be where your kick lands. Although it is advised against using high kicks in a real fight, you should train to kick from the ground to as high as possible and everything in-between. This training will aid balance, accuracy, force etc. Also, you may never know when you might need to do such a move.









The *Short Side Kick* can be utilized in the same way as a feeler jab. It is similar to a Snap Kick but it also has the added advantage of being able to be used to the side. It is always done with your lead (front most) leg and can make contact with either the edge, flat or heel of your foot. With your rear leg bent for balance, your lead knee is brought up to the height you want to kick. Thrust the kick out quickly and then bring it back on the same path just as fast. Raise your heel slightly higher than your toes. Some good targets to go for are your opponents' knee, shin, or ankle.


An extremely versatile kick which can be used whether in combination or by itself, is the *Shin Kick*. If you have ever watched a kick-boxing match or MMA, then you have seen this before. It is the classic Muay-Thai kick, which is easy to execute, fast and very effective. It can be performed by either your lead or rear leg. Your rear will obviously have more power but the lead, as always, will be less telegraphed. Come in, twist and drop with a straight leg, like a baseball bat. Bring it through down on an angle. Dont bounce off the target, penetrate through it. Aim to hit your target with the lower part of your shin.


If doing a Shin Kick with your rear leg, step across you target and pivot on the ball of your foot as you strike. Your lead foot should twist to the outside to allow a cocking action. You then bring your rear leg up hip height and snap it on a downward angle (if attacking below the waist) through your target, twisting at the hips.


Shin kicks are best used when aimed towards your opponents' thigh, (where the bottoms of his finger tips would be), is ribs (although may be a bit high) or his knees. It is primarily a power blow and if you miss it may throw you off balance exposing your back to your opponent. To recover from this, just keep spinning raising your other leg in a check position whilst covering.


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## K-man (Jan 20, 2013)

I teach the shin kick or Sune Geri but not to thigh height. We use it as you described to take out the knee.  There is another form of low kicking called 'purring' which has English origins. It is first described in the 1600s. The contestants held each others ears and took turns to kick each other in the shins until one let go the ear of the other. Interesting with horseshoes attached to the boots.   It is quite an effective technique to use if you are wearing shoes as it targets the ankle or the front of the shin.   :asian:


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## Cyriacus (Jan 20, 2013)

Hi!



First Action said:


> In the midst of your standard street fight, using something as simple as a kick can really put your opponent off. Most untrained people are not expecting it, and usually do not know how to defend against it.



But, the other guy isnt stupid. Chances are, he wont defend it. Hell ignore it, and keep trying to strike you, choke you, or take you down. They wont go, "Oh no! Something unexpected!" *Freezes up*
Kicks work, but not for that reason.



> Not only will it surprise your opponent, but often it will cause him to drop his guard.



His guard? What kind of attacks have you been in that involve a guard? Mutual fight, sure.



> Kicks are generally more powerful than hand techniques but are also slower to perform.



Speed is overrated.



> Using kicks can be risky, as you are taking one foot off the ground which greatly compromises your balance. You can help to aid your balance when kicking by keeping the grounded leg bent and by only kicking below the waist when there is a definite opening . In general, the height of your knee will be where your kick lands. Although it is advised against using high kicks in a real fight, you should train to kick from the ground to as high as possible and everything in-between. This training will aid balance, accuracy, force etc. Also, you may never know when you might need to do such a move.



Id be thinking more about when a kick is appropriate. If it is, hit the available target.



>



I know that image is probably meant in fun, but if someones choking you up against a wall whilst standing so far back you can kick them in the groin, they dont deserve to be called an attacker.



> The *Short Side Kick* can be utilized in the same way as a feeler jab. It is similar to a Snap Kick but it also has the added advantage of being able to be used to the side. It is always done with your lead (front most) leg and can make contact with either the edge, flat or heel of your foot. With your rear leg bent for balance, your lead knee is brought up to the height you want to kick. Thrust the kick out quickly and then bring it back on the same path just as fast. Raise your heel slightly higher than your toes. Some good targets to go for are your opponents' knee, shin, or ankle.


How is it any better than a lead leg push kick, or even lead leg front kick?



> An extremely versatile kick which can be used whether in combination or by itself, is the *Shin Kick*. If you have ever watched a kick-boxing match or MMA, then you have seen this before. It is the classic Muay-Thai kick, which is easy to execute, fast and very effective. It can be performed by either your lead or rear leg. Your rear will obviously have more power but the lead, as always, will be less telegraphed. Come in, twist and drop with a straight leg, like a baseball bat. Bring it through down on an angle. Dont bounce off the target, penetrate through it. Aim to hit your target with the lower part of your shin.



I also cant see this working too well in an attack. A mutual fight, sure. But if the other person is in your face, trying to kick them is perhaps a waste of time over vastly better options. If theyre back at a distance, by all means. A better application would be to take someone down after you manage to pin them down with striking or grappling, which may be enough on its own, if it succeeds.



> If doing a Shin Kick with your rear leg, step across you target and pivot on the ball of your foot as you strike. Your lead foot should twist to the outside to allow a cocking action. You then bring your rear leg up hip height and snap it on a downward angle (if attacking below the waist) through your target, twisting at the hips.



If youre going to teach people kicks, id suggest making either a video, or providing picture supplements. Otherwise you get people doing weird emulations, if they dont anyway.



> Shin kicks are best used when aimed towards your opponents' thigh, (where the bottoms of his finger tips would be), is ribs (although may be a bit high) or his knees. It is primarily a power blow and if you miss it may throw you off balance exposing your back to your opponent. To recover from this, just keep spinning raising your other leg in a check position whilst covering.



Thats harder than youre making it sound. And if it missed, that would also mean theyre... interestingly... far away from you.

Please define your interpretation of a "standard street fight".


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## jks9199 (Jan 20, 2013)

Define a "standard street fight"...

There's seldom anything standard about violent attacks.  Monkey Dances are best avoided by not playing into it.  Real violence has to be defended with violence, not rely on surprising the attacker that you're defending.


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## K-man (Jan 20, 2013)

jks9199 said:


> Define a "standard street fight"...
> 
> There's seldom anything standard about violent attacks.  Monkey Dances are best avoided by not playing into it.  Real violence has to be defended with violence, not rely on surprising the attacker that you're defending.


I think the point here is that often a situation may evolve with both people in a standing grappling type of position. Here I would suggest the shin kick to the outside knee or the kick to the shin or inside ankle is an option.


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## chinto (Jan 20, 2013)

shin kick to the knee, shin or ankle with good power is a viable technique. you do it right and it will get attention. the ankle or the knee are great targets and the shin can brake balance. but there is a need for power and that technique done right has a great deal of power.


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## oftheherd1 (Jan 21, 2013)

A good shin kick is to the thigh?  Then it is a thigh kick.  Best done to the middle of the front of the thigh, or just above the middle inside to a pressure point there.

Cyriacus - your point about chokes is well taken, but in the case of the photo, did you notice the victim's hands breaking the plane of the attackers elbows?  That is a common-taught defense to expose continuations to protect against a choke.  It would as shown, cause an attacker to bend.  It may of course also cause the victim to bend some.


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## Cyriacus (Jan 21, 2013)

oftheherd1 said:


> A good shin kick is to the thigh?  Then it is a thigh kick.  Best done to the middle of the front of the thigh, or just above the middle inside to a pressure point there.
> 
> Cyriacus - your point about chokes is well taken, but in the case of the photo, did you notice the victim's hands breaking the plane of the attackers elbows?  That is a common-taught defense to expose continuations to protect against a choke.  It would as shown, cause an attacker to bend.  It may of course also cause the victim to bend some.



Statically, yes. Now, lets turn it around. I am now going to choke an old woman. I am going to rush into her, grab her neck, run her back into the wall compressing her throat with my thumbs as tightly as i can while squeezing in with my fingers, then ill keep pressing her into it. Ill be right in front of her, my elbows will be bent because im too close to her to have them extended, ill have one foot forward for balance, and she will be in a state of shock.
In the image, his feet are side by side, his arms outstretched, and she is far from pinned against a wall by a young male of superior physical strength. I await any reason why anyone would be stupid enough to try and choke someone like that. Look at his feet, hes miles away. In fact, hes outside his own arms length, meaning hes technically doing the impossible. Given her age, she has less time to react than another young man. Id give her ten seconds before anything she tried was rendered too weak to do anything. Even before that, she needs to react. If she doesnt go into shock just from being attacked suddenly, she now has roughly ten seconds to do something that wont just add some rage to his fire. To put it another way, imagine the circumstances leading to that, and how unlikely if not impossible they are. Hes standing at arms length. Without moving, or doing anything, he grabs her neck and stands there squeezing. People arent stupid 

EDIT: Note, i wouldnt choke an old woman. Im saying imagine yourself as the attacker, then realise that the attacker has a brain too. Call it, experimental thought processes. Dont forget to factor in that he has a reason for doing this, and he is probably angry. It wont be static, it wont be pretty, and the victim is more likely to, whats the word, freeze? Than think "Oh look, someone half my age with strong arms taking the air out of me and stopping the blood flow to my brain! Time to bend his arms and kick him in the groin then expect him to not go berserk!"
Also, upon rereading my own message, please dont mistake how strongly i feel about people underestimating (in any way shape or form) attackers (of any way shape or form) for a condescending tone. I mean no offense.


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## K-man (Jan 21, 2013)

oftheherd1 said:


> A good shin kick is to the thigh?  Then it is a thigh kick.  Best done to the middle of the front of the thigh, or just above the middle inside to a pressure point there.


A shin kick (sune geri) is a kick using the shin instead of the foot.  I prefer to use it to target the knee but it is very effective to the groin and inside thigh. As to targeting the middle of the front of the thigh? I prefer the middle of the outside thigh and normally target here with the knee. The middle front is not normally a Kyushu target.  :asian:


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## chinto (Jan 21, 2013)

K-man said:


> A shin kick (sune geri) is a kick using the shin instead of the foot.  I prefer to use it to target the knee but it is very effective to the groin and inside thigh. As to targeting the middle of the front of the thigh? I prefer the middle of the outside thigh and normally target here with the knee. The middle front is not normally a Kyushu target.  :asian:



the shin kick I know is from the Okinawan arts and uses the foot ...


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## K-man (Jan 21, 2013)

chinto said:


> the shin kick I know is from the Okinawan arts and uses the foot ...


OK. A shin kick could mean a kick to the shin (as you would understand the term 'groin kick') or a kick using the shin as the striking surface. So the kick to the shin could be Mae Geri, Kansetsu Geri, Yoko Geri or maybe even Kakato Geri. 

The kick using the shin as the striking surface is Sune Geri. It is valuable because it does not have to be as precise, especially under stress, it can be used effectively at closer range than other kicks and it utilises gross motor skills. It would be my first option to take out the knee in any altercation.  As a finisher it is great if your attacker has a wide open stance. Just pretend you are kicking a football.     :asian:


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## chinto (Jan 21, 2013)

K-man said:


> OK. A shin kick could mean a kick to the shin (as you would understand the term 'groin kick') or a kick using the shin as the striking surface. So the kick to the shin could be Mae Geri, Kansetsu Geri, Yoko Geri or maybe even Kakato Geri.
> 
> The kick using the shin as the striking surface is Sune Geri. It is valuable because it does not have to be as precise, especially under stress, it can be used effectively at closer range than other kicks and it utilises gross motor skills. It would be my first option to take out the knee in any altercation.  As a finisher it is great if your attacker has a wide open stance. Just pretend you are kicking a football.     :asian:


ok, not a technique that was traditionally taught at least using the shin to strike with on Okinawa as far as I know. ..


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## oftheherd1 (Jan 21, 2013)

K-man said:


> A shin kick (sune geri) is a kick using the shin instead of the foot.  I prefer to use it to target the knee but it is very effective to the groin and inside thigh. As to targeting the middle of the front of the thigh? I prefer the middle of the outside thigh and normally target here with the knee. The middle front is not normally a Kyushu target.  :asian:



Looks like we have a mixup over terminology.  Like chinto, the shin kick I know is with the foot to the shin.

Cyriacus, I don't much disagree with anything you say except your statement of a victim of choking having 10 seconds.  I've never been choked out, but I am told 3 seconds to being unconscious isn't unreasonable.  It isn't the lack of air that is the problem.  A good swimmer could have two or three minutes of lack of breath.  It is the lack of blood to the brain.

Also, the photo is obviously staged between two people who have at least some training.  I would expect it is for either illustration or advertisement.  Then the object would be to show how the move is intended to be made at some point or points for illustration, or to people who don't know the finer points of the move anyway, but might be used to entice people to come to the school.  The location isn't then so important to the use of the photo, other than to perhaps show someone alone being attacked and reacting.  The technique is one I have seen taught, and would work considering that most people using the attack wouldn't expect that response.  I personally prefer something that more certainly breaks the choke first.


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## Cyriacus (Jan 22, 2013)

oftheherd1 said:


> Cyriacus, I don't much disagree with anything you say except your statement of a victim of choking having 10 seconds.  I've never been choked out, but I am told 3 seconds to being unconscious isn't unreasonable.  It isn't the lack of air that is the problem.  A good swimmer could have two or three minutes of lack of breath.  It is the lack of blood to the brain.



I was giving her the benefit of the doubt that shed even stand a chance of doing anything at all  Even if you can last three minutes without air, that doesnt mean you wont panic. It might be the blood that does it, and it is possible to just grab a chunk of each side of the neck, but its being compressed either way.



> Also, the photo is obviously staged between two people who have at least some training.  I would expect it is for either illustration or advertisement.  Then the object would be to show how the move is intended to be made at some point or points for illustration, or to people who don't know the finer points of the move anyway, but might be used to entice people to come to the school.  The location isn't then so important to the use of the photo, other than to perhaps show someone alone being attacked and reacting.  The technique is one I have seen taught, and would work considering that most people using the attack wouldn't expect that response.  I personally prefer something that more certainly breaks the choke first.



Fair enough - But its still a highly unrealistic depiction, and no matter what training she had, i pose that that woman would not be able to defend herself against that man without some form of weapon, if he actually attempted to choke her. I guess if you were advertising to people who looked at it and saw that the style involved groin strikes and autopiloted onto thinking it was therefore good self defense, then i guess it just a matter of how many new students theyve gotten because someone saw a picture of an old woman kicking a fit young man in the balls in an unrealistically depicted attack.


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## First Action (Jan 23, 2013)

Thanks for all your insights guys. 

Sorry I dont have time to reply to them all but Ive been on the road the last couple of days and there is too much to catch up on.

I probably should have mentioned this as an intro at the start of the post but this was an article I wrote on my blog about 10 years ago. I didnt edit it before putting it up here (purely cut and paste). It was my intention to get feedback from the community. I have done this on a couple of forums and thanks to feedback I have now taken the post off my blog. 

I intend to do this with a number of articles so I hope that the responses are as helpful and insightful as the ones that have been for this one. 

I really appreciate all feedback.

Thanks again and hopefully next time I will have the time to respond.


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