Difference between a sanshou side kick & a karate side k

[SpeedKills]

The karate side kick I mean is the side thrust kick.

Also how do you throw a good side thrust kick?

Lastly I find if I use my glute to throw the side kick it is fast and powerful but if I use my thigh muscles as in my quads and hamstrings I find they just impede the speed and power of my glute and decrease the power of the kick. Why do some people recommend using the though muscles during a side kcik? Some people say stomp the leg which implies quad involvement perhaps, some people in sanshou say its all in the hams and glutes so same problem again. Is it better to just use your glute? (buttock)

[bushido_man96]

I think it comes down to preference. I think what really adds to a good side thrust kick is use of the hips rotating over and adding some drive to the kick.

When we do spin side kicks, we do them kind of in the Olympic style, where we buzz the heel of our kicking leg tight by the knee of the base leg. This would really be using more of the ham and glutes, I think, to drive the kick.

Now, with that said, you really can't isolate the leg muscles too much when doing a side kick. The quads are going to be involved, because the whole leg gets involved, either in pushing the leg out, or in supporting the leg in the air to do the kick.

[sensei8]

I think it comes down to preference. I think what really adds to a good side thrust kick is use of the hips rotating over and adding some drive to the kick.

When we do spin side kicks, we do them kind of in the Olympic style, where we buzz the heel of our kicking leg tight by the knee of the base leg. This would really be using more of the ham and glutes, I think, to drive the kick.

Now, with that said, you really can't isolate the leg muscles too much when doing a side kick. The quads are going to be involved, because the whole leg gets involved, either in pushing the leg out, or in supporting the leg in the air to do the kick.

Solid post!!

If I may add...Pivot ALL THE WAY THROUGH, and imho, if the supporting foot ISN'T 180 degrees away from the target, power has suffered. And so I can beat this horse to death...POSTURE is crucial.

If the target is moving you, and you're not moving the target, then your technique is lacking quite a lot.