side kick

[VinnieDaChin]

hey people- specifically kickboxers but whatever... how many of you have ever used a side kick in a real fight (by which i mean ring, cage, street, something like that) effectively? i pretty much stick to front (snap) kicks, push kicks, and roundhouses. lets hear some stories (good or bad) about using them.

[Hudson]

I've used it to quite some advantage in full contact fights. Side snaps I love for getting underneath an extendend arm, or open guard. I should warn that I take a more sideways ready stance than most people which probably leads to my use of side kicks. But yes, side snap - once you get it down properly (I had a hard time keeping my hip from rolling over) it can sneak up on people.

 

Side thrust is good for street fights for taking out lead legs.

[Rich67]

Never used one in a street fight. Usually stick with front or roundhouse kicks low. Front kicks to the knee or groin, and roundhouse to the mid thigh (peroneal nerve).

[delta1]

Yes. I like whatever works, and they do work.

[Ottman]

Side kick off the front leg is my favorite defensive maneuver, and with practice you can get it lightening quick and full of power. I urge everyone to practice side kicks at different angles (if you don't already.) I've found that being able to throw one from any position, in any direction has been extremely useful. Now when my opponents think they are circling me into a good position, I can just wait for them to try an attack, and then BANG! A side kick they never expected hits them, and then they hit the floor.

 

In fact, while I try to mix up my kicks when I spar, I find myself using side kicks more often than any other kick. I love 'em!

[Shane]

Side kicks can be a great tool in the ring as long as you know when to throw them. As far as the street goes Ive never used on but a lower version to the knee, down the shin would be great

[HumanTyphoon]

Sidekicks are good, they help you out in a fight, it's always good to have a sidekick next to you like Batman and Robin.....ok that was lame.

 

Sidekicks are strong and can be a really fast and unsuspecting move if you practice the kick a lot. Almost any part of the body can be vulnerable if hit by a well-aimed sidekick.

[SevenStar]

I don't like the side snap kick, but I use the thrust kick as a defensive technique on a regular basis.

[SevenStar]

for those who fight san shou or muay thai matches, you know that you are allowed to catch kicks and knock your opponent down. The side kick is much harder to catch than the roundhouse is, so it's good in that respect as well.

[Ted T.]

The side snap is as quick as the front snap and up to the inner thigh, just as nasty...a great enty / distraction technique.

 

The thrust to the side is a finisher. I don't street fight. But we spar with knees as targets, once a person has control. You must learn how to protect your knees, especially in a back stance (kokutsa dachi).

 

On my 3d Dan grading I had to fight another 3d Dan prospect from a different club. She was fiesty enough but didn't worry me. Suddenly I heard the whole room gasp and her face went white, and I realized I had thrust (stomped) a side kick to her knee, full force, but of course I didn't make contact.

 

I said "Oops, I didn't know this was tournament rules..." and the center judge said, "It was a good clean controlled kick and no rules were given so continue." I let her bop me on the nose and after she told me her whole career and the end of all her training flashed before her eyes when she saw the kick coming in because she knew her knee was destroyed.

 

So, no war stories but that did make an impression upon me.