Im finding my spinning side kick feels more powerful.......

[SpeedKills]

.....with only a spin and no thrusting of the leg/glute.

Its like I catch the rotational power on the target , but if I thrust it kinda impedes the transmission of the rotational power.

What do you find?

Whats the best way to throw it for power?

[Harkon72]

My spinning side kick; In left lead stance, never step your left foot to the right to set up the kick; this is a plain telegraph and in real Kumite your opponent will sweep your legs. Second, never pause in the turned position, it is not a one two motion, it has no steps, it is one movement. Spot the target over your shoulder as y chamber your leg. As you come around, fire in the side kick and rechamber, then place your foot down in the direction of your opponent. If you do not chamber, kick and then rechamber your leg; it is not a spinning side kick. The amount of hip you use makes no difference to this. If there is no chambering of the leg and the contact is made with the heel; then the kick is a reverse round house kick.

[SpeedKills]

My spinning side kick; In left lead stance, never step your left foot to the right to set up the kick; this is a plain telegraph and in real Kumite your opponent will sweep your legs. Second, never pause in the turned position, it is not a one two motion, it has no steps, it is one movement. Spot the target over your shoulder as y chamber your leg. As you come around, fire in the side kick and rechamber, then place your foot down in the direction of your opponent. If you do not chamber, kick and then rechamber your leg; it is not a spinning side kick. The amount of hip you use makes no difference to this. If there is no chambering of the leg and the contact is made with the heel; then the kick is a reverse round house kick.

Wow thats a brilliant answer thankyou kind sir!

Do you think a reverse "round house" is more or less powerful than a spinning side kick done properly? Why is that the case?

Thanks mate!!

[SpeedKills]

My spinning side kick; In left lead stance, never step your left foot to the right to set up the kick; this is a plain telegraph and in real Kumite your opponent will sweep your legs. Second, never pause in the turned position, it is not a one two motion, it has no steps, it is one movement. Spot the target over your shoulder as y chamber your leg. As you come around, fire in the side kick and rechamber, then place your foot down in the direction of your opponent. If you do not chamber, kick and then rechamber your leg; it is not a spinning side kick. The amount of hip you use makes no difference to this. If there is no chambering of the leg and the contact is made with the heel; then the kick is a reverse round house kick.

Would you say that what I did is a reverse round house kick and not a spinning side kick, do you think a reverse round house kick (as in a poor form spinning side kick) is stronger or weaker than the properly done spinning side kick?

Also should you try to mesh the force of the rotation (reverse round house) with the force of the leg thrusting out from the buttock? Or should the spin only position you for the side kick and not add any power to it?

Thanks a million friend!!!

[Harkon72]

I hope not to confuse you, but here's my simple answer; It depends on the intended target. For example, if you thrust a side kick at a mobile target like the head, due to its natural movement, the head will move laterally with the thrust; but if you take the head as a target through the more sweeping movement of the round house kick; the second kick will do more damage as the range of movement is more effective. The opposite is true for a more static target such as the ribcage. A circular arc can do it damage; but a powerful thrust of a side kick will drive the energy through the whole, laterally. If you meet a target such as a human torso moving towards you at speed with a straight thrust, be it a punch or kick; more energy is delivered.

[SpeedKills]

I hope not to confuse you, but here's my simple answer; It depends on the intended target. For example, if you thrust a side kick at a mobile target like the head, due to its natural movement, the head will move laterally with the thrust; but if you take the head as a target through the more sweeping movement of the round house kick; the second kick will do more damage as the range of movement is more effective. The opposite is true for a more static target such as the ribcage. A circular arc can do it damage; but a powerful thrust of a side kick will drive the energy through the whole, laterally. If you meet a target such as a human torso moving towards you at speed with a straight thrust, be it a punch or kick; more energy is delivered.

Thats brilliant thankyou!

One last question, I noticed spinning side kicks do alot more damage than regular side kicks with the lead leg, and 360 degree spinning side kicks do even more damage than the 180 degree spinning side kicks.

That to me must mean the spin is adding force to the spinning side kick, thing is ive been told by some people that it is a linear kick only and it doesn't derive its power from the spin since the spin is going one way while the leg is going straight and the two forces cant mix.

Is this true or false? How does it work?

Many many thanks!!!

[Harkon72]

We all have a dynamic energy, even when we walk. If the person moving is already in motion and the kick they deliver is part of that motion energy wise, then the force or power transferred in the impact is stronger. If you take the example of a jumping kick, even a jumping spin kick; the force with the correct technique can be devastating. On the other hand what you must keep in mind is the question of how efficient your combat techniques are. You can never sustain multiple jumping spin kicks in succession, however powerful you are. Not only will your opponent expect them; but you may not need to spend such a massive amount of energy to achieve your aims. I practice Karatedo and Aikido; in karate - Why spin through the air to kick him when I can floor him with a hard kick to his inner thigh? In Aikido - Why should I interfere with his motion when it leads him to lose his balance and then he is no longer a threat to me? Martial arts is full of mind blowing techniques, and you can dedicate your life to learning them for their own sake while simpler techniques are more effective in a real threatening situation. It depends what you want and what your ambitions are.

[AdamKralic]

I can only give advice as my brain understands things. this disclaimer is put there as a drawn out "imho"

energy is flowing like water. the smoother the flow the more energy that will be transferred to the end target. Any hiccup, any pause will detract from the end power. Your spin back side kick...might have a hiccup in the motion. IDK. But that kick w/o hiccup is TREMENDOUSLY powerful. I would say that it is more powerful than the spin round...or the variation that you are comparing.

As the above poster stated...they are kind of for different targets. But pure, raw lbs of force per square inch power? IMHO the spin back side is greater. I would guess significantly greater at that. Cracking multiple ribs is possible with the spin back side. Done with the right distance, right transfer of energy...it's a fight ender. Pros cannot fight right if they get cracked ribs during a fight...adrenaline might carry them through a duration...but "stuff" is all borked from there on out. Next day?

An amateur? Forget it. Getting that much wind knocked out of your sails combined with the nerves of the ribs going off in a cacophony of alarm? Your body will register this a "omg I might be dying" type moment. They will fetal up...and stay there.

Plus...which has more mass directly behind it? The spin foot connection that is curved until it gets to your core? Or the straight line directly to your core kick?

[sensei8]

Inertia is something else that can't be ignored; increased momentum can add something to said technique(s), therefore, seeming more powerful than those techniques that are straight forward.

Imho.

[AdamKralic]

True. Mass vs inertia. A piece of straw can go through a 2x4 if traveling at several hundreds of miles per hour...a 50 mph train can obliterate a 18 wheeler as if it wasn't even worthy of notice...

Yes.

Edited September 24, 2014 by AdamKralic