Knowing how to side kick is one thing… knowing how to use it is another!
In this video, I share two simple rules that have helped me land more side kicks. I hope they help you, too!
If the video doesn’t play, you can find a summary below. Happy kicking! 🙂
Side Kick Tips for Sparring and Fighting
When I started training in the martial arts, I saw students of Tae Kwon Do and Karate using the side kick defensively. They would build a wall by dropping into a horse stance, leaning back, and cocking the hip, ready to kick. Then they’d wait…
If someone crossed over their perimeter—BAM! They’d stick a side kick into their gut, chest, or face.
At first, that strategy worked pretty well for me, too… at least when I was sparring kids and kittens. But once I started fighting with the big boys and girls, I ran into three problems…
Problem #1: Reacting instead of acting.
I spent way too much time hiding behind my wall when I should have been attacking and setting the pace of the fight. Worse, against better fighters, I would get tricked into throwing the side kick at all the wrong times. They faked, I kicked, they countered. Dumb.
Problem #2: Getting knocked backwards.
It’s a simple matter of physics. If the other guy was bigger than me, no matter how great my side kick was—and it was awesome! 🙂 —, I’d get rocked back on my heels. Even a white belt with no skill would run me over.
Problem #3: Giving up the back.
Sorry to say, but not everybody wants to spar and trade kicks with you. Especially nowadays, with the popularity of MMA, there are more people out there than ever who just want to jump on your back and choke you out.
That’s a problem because when I turn sideways to build a wall, I open the door for grapplers to do just that. I might as well hang a welcome mat on my back.
So, does all of this mean the side kick is not a powerful and effective weapon? Of course not! You just have to be smart about how you use it. And here are two rules to get you started.
RULE #1: Don’t try to stop the train… derail it.
How do you derail a train? Step off the tracks!
You can step out with the front foot or the back foot. Either way, getting off the tracks will keep you from getting run over. Plus, you’ll give yourself three advantages…
First, when you step out, your foot is already half-way into your full pivot. Giving yourself a little head start means you won’t have to crank your hips quite as far, fast, or hard, which is helpful when you get caught on the street and you’re not warmed up… or anytime when you’re old!
Second, since you’re meeting the bad guy’s force from the side, that means after the kick, you land on a superior angle. You’re on the outside, so you can feel fairly safe following up right away.
Third, if you’re facing someone who wants to grab you, stepping off the tracks will turn your back away from him. The bad guy now has to shift his weight and change directions, which will buy you a little time and take some steam out of his engine.
RULE #2: Move him back, then attack.
Forget defense. Let’s talk about attacking.
If you want to land your side kick—or any kick, for that matter!—and you just explode forward, it’s easy to see coming. The means the bad guy can catch it, counter it, block it, or jam it.
It’s a safer bet to set up your kick inside of a combination. The goal is to make him the bad guy flinch and shift his weight backwards. That will make it more difficult to deal with your kick. You’ll also be giving yourself three advantages…
First, throwing a combination makes the side kick easier to throw because you’re already in motion.
Second, when the bad guy is moving backwards, it’s impossible for him to knock me backwards. Now physics is on your side. You’re running into him, he’s not running into you. You’re the train.
Third, even if you get turned sideways and give up your back, the bad guy won’t be able to shoot in right away because he’ll have to shift his weight forward. That little bit of time is all you need to keep him off your back or change your angle.
Oh—when you’re on the attack, don’t forget to step off the tracks just like you do when you’re under attack. In short—it’s always a good idea to take an outside angle.
One more thought…
Don’t think of a side kick as you turning to your side to throw a kick… think of a side kick as moving to the bad guy’s side to throw a kick.
Wow. That one concept changed how I throw my side kicks more than any other. Give it some thought.
If you follow these rules, you’ll be landing more side kicks than ever. If you don’t follow these rules, well, then instead of stopping the bad guy dead in his tracks, you might wind up dead on his tracks. Go get him!
For more side kick tips, check out Side Kick Tips for Power and Balance. You can also find tips on landing more kicks here:Â Kicking Drill for Sparring and Fighting.
