Side-kick problems

[Mamo-Chan]

I'm having a lot of problems with my sidekick. When I do it normally, I'm always hitting with the ball of my foot. When I'm near a wall and chamber back a bit more, however, I can hit with my heel, but it takes a long time to do so. I can do every other kick quite well, but the sidekick just eludes me.

 

Is there some stretch or exercise I can do that will push that heel out, or is there some other solution to this? I'm already quite flexible, I'm 5'7" and can get my heel above my head in a front kick, but I'm lacking form for the sidekick and need some strength for jumps.

[SaiFightsMS]

Practice. You can also try pulling your toes up while you are chambering for the kick.

[Sasori_Te]

Sai has a good point. Try pointing your big toe straight up in the air while flattening the foot for the kick. This will push your heel out. I hope I explained that well enough.

 

I understood it perfectly so I must have.

[foreveryoung001]

Sai has a good point. Try pointing your big toe straight up in the air while flattening the foot for the kick. This will push your heel out. I hope I explained that well enough.

 

I understood it perfectly so I must have.

 

That was the same advise my first intructor gave to a group of students that were having similar problems. We used to chuckle during class because he would stand there and yell from across the room, "TOE..... TOE.... TOE!!!!" as a reminder to them to point it up.

[aefibird]

One way that my instructor gets lower grades to practice their side kick is with a higher grade partner. The partner holds the kickers leg whilst the kicker very slowly performs the kick. The partner then holds the kickers leg out in the correct kick position for a few seconds before the kicker slowly returns their leg to the ground.

[Mamo-Chan]

Thanks, all this has really helped out a lot.

 

I've changed my movement, however, and it's more like a roundkick that hits with the heel than what I can see with a traditional sidekick. I still get tons of pushing power, although it's most likely wrong, but it works very well, and the toe thing works wonders.

 

Thank you everybody.

[GrrrArg]

If its coming out more like a round kick then you are possibly preparing with your heel to close to your knee. It wants to be a couple inches in front of your knee. This should insure it travels out in the correct motion.

 

A proper side kick is always going to have more power than a round kick trying to be a side kick

 

Hope that makes sense..

[Sasori_Te]

Sounds like you are doing some sort of wheel kick to me. This is okay if you're trying to do a wheel kick but unacceptable for a sidekick. Try this:

 

Look at your target

 

Pull the kicking knee up towards the opposite shoulder as tight as you can. The butt cheek of your kicking leg should be facing your target.

 

Lead the kick by opening your hips/ rolling the hips open into the kick. THis is very hard to explain typing. Try and visualize your knee pointing more (about 45 degrees) down toward the ground than out to the side.

 

Lead the kick with the hips and the heel of the kicking foot. Don't forget to pull that toe back.

 

Also, don't get into the habit of locking your knee out with a full extension kick.