Side kick

[garrisons2]

Any suggestions on how to improve my side kick? I've been at it for about a year now and am modestly pleased with my front, round, axe, crescent, turn side and so on, but my side kick lacks fluidity and height. I realize that I need to continue practicing to get better, but looking for input on drills that have been particularly helpful. thanks

 

[Sukerkin]

In what sense is your side-kick not to your liking, garrison?

I'm assuming it's not a tendon-stretching problem given that your roundhouse kicks are okay?

Getting height out of a side-kick always entails some opposite-lock leaning of the torso. Could it be that you're trying to stay to 'upright'?

 

[newGuy12]

One thing that will give you control and better understanding is to do the kick slowly and break it down to its constituent parts. User 'Exile' can give a good explanation of this.

But I can say a little. Stand in the fighting stance. You will kick with the back foot. Now:

1) Put the weight on the front foot, bring the back foot up, and then make the back foot go to the front. The knee is bent now, and raised up. Hold that position. Notice now, at this point, the base foot is rotated a bit. The base foot has changed its position, from pointing straight forward, to pointing toward the "back". It has rotated 180 degress, rotating on the ball of the foot.

NOTE: This is how *I* do this. Teachers here can correct this for you if they know better. I may have bad habits and I am not a Instructor.

Hold this position -- notice something else -- if someone were to kick you LOW with the roundhouse kick, this position here would serve as a block, right? Yes. No problem.

Lift that knee and hold this position, to improve balance and strength. Hold the wall if you need to, but eventually, do it without the wall.

2) -- Okay, now, you will do the kicking motion. Kick the foot out. For this exercise, kick with the ball of the foot, not with the knife edge. The toes of the foot should be LOWER than the ball of the foot. *** NOTE *** Some schools have this different -- I have seen pictures of the MooDoKwan people do this different! -- in my school, this is how it is done! -- if someone looks at you from the ceiling, the LINE that is defined by the heel of the foot to the top of your head should pass through your center of mass -- that is, your body should NOT be "checkmarked" -- your body will be lined up, that is, the head is right in line with the waist and the foot, it should be a straight line.

Hold this position -- think about this and enjoy this position here. If you cannot hold this kick high up in the air, do not despair, but do it anyway. Just do this, even if your brain tells you that it is not a good position and gives you some depressive thought like "Its not good enough". Instead, persist and hold it. In time, the foot will be brought up higher because your muscles will have more strength!!!

3) After you hold this -- sometimes you hold this for a long time, to make your muscles tired and put a load on them to stress them (and make them stronger) -- you then bring the foot back to the chambered position. You should concentrate and keep balance at all times. If you quiver about, you must not let yourself be dissuaded from doing this exercise, instead, keep doing it and get better at it.

4) Finally, you put the kicking foot back on the ground. You can sometimes put it forward (kicking and stepping forward), and sometimes put it backward, where it was originally.


Now, you do this and you will have a good understanding of the kick -- MAKE SURE THAT THE INSTRUCTOR GIVES YOU REVIEW OF THIS SO THAT YOU WILL NOT INCORPORATE SOME BAD HABIT!

Now, another thing --

For this exercise you must have a training partner and a kicking sheild. Preferably, the partner will be a "heavy weight" who has a good body mass. The partner will hold the sheild and you will kick with with the side kick.

Your center of mass moves away from the target, right? Oh! You must learn to GIVE THE ENERGY to the target! You will be able to understand this by doing it -- as you kick the target (instead of the empty air) -- your center moves forward more, to compensate, right? Feel this feeling.

Again, others who are more advanced can give more information, but, with the Instructor watching this to make sure that you do not practice in the bad way -- WARNING -- that is important, you will have a good feeling about this motion!

 

[Decker]

My side kick sucked for a year too, and I could never hit anything with it.

I agree with NewGuy's suggestion of breaking it down and practising it slowly: in my opinion, if a technique can't be properly executed, something's gotta be wrong with the basics, whether it be torso positioning, hip positioning, etc etc.

And, if it helps, don't think. Feel.

 

[wolf30]

Just put your leg on a surface like a table or something and hold it in a sidekick position. That really helped me with my sidekick.

 

[DArnold]

Any suggestions on how to improve my side kick? I've been at it for about a year now and am modestly pleased with my front, round, axe, crescent, turn side and so on, but my side kick lacks fluidity and height. I realize that I need to continue practicing to get better, but looking for input on drills that have been particularly helpful. thanks

A) the most power from a side kick is at belt lever. Most all levels above this loose power.

B) Throw a ping pong ball up let it bounce once and then side kick it. (This has the added benifit of teaching you trajactory also!)

C) Same exercise as above without the bounce

(These are some of the really fancy, expensive training tools from my gym)

Good luck!

 

[cy1982]

You can also go into a sidekick from a front to roundhouse position finishing into a sidekick. (1.lift+tuck hold 2.rotate to target 3. launch usually this is preformed with your rear)
the other would be 1. lift+tuck already facing the target with your leading leg and launch.) These bring in enormous combinations for your future kicking options, practice them both, basically lead&rear.

To focus on your problem for fluidity, simply practice the form slowly over and over. make sure you have a GOOD form. also a good trick is to hold your kicks once launched.
a simple but effective drill for starters:
side kick, hold 2sec
side kick hold 3
side kick hold 4
side kick hold 5
change legs
this will build your power, and speed as well as height. When you hold the side kick make sure you suck your glutes\butt in . Keep your back straight. and make sure your toes are pointing downwards(heel should be up), and rear foot on the floor, try not to go on the balls(you can do this, but your supposed to have your full feet on the floor)).

do this and everytime you should slowly try to lift and hold your leg higher. You will notice very small progression, but you will be progressing properly, and have good form,flexibility,accuracy control and speed.

when you have good form, slowly incorperate speed with control in the drill.
side kick,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 hold 5 sec
be creative, switch it around. to your liking

this is a beautiful, powerful and useful kick, and very easy to chain ontop or before of another kick(roundhouse to sidekick without putting the attacking leg down is very simple) once mastered.

anyways I mentioned most things people said here, except I dont think anyone mentioned the butt, its very important. If people here havent done it, I highly recommend you give it a try, you will notice a power shifting difference.

I will correct any mistake on this post i might have made later tonight no time to review


Here`s 2 other cheap\free method to get your kick higher.

1,If you have a partner, get a small bean bag or even a hacky sack, hold the position the highest you can, than have him slowly put it on your foot, hold it, your feet will notice the small weight. My aunt did that to me.

2. Practice your form at knee level(preform a side kick towards your knee level) as warm up, so you remind yourself how to end the kick.

 

[myusername]

I'm very very new to the side kick myself but an exercise my instructor gave me that has already improved the quality of my kicks is to rest your foot on a chair in the finished side kick position. Then clench your buttocks as if you are trying to hold a 10p coin in between your cheeks and slowly rise your leg up and then down twenty times, keep your buttocks clenched and the slower you do the exercise the better. Then swap legs and do the same again. Like I say I'm a newbie to TKD and I've been doing this exercise at home for about a month and it has really improved the flexibility and strength of my kicks.