How to do a Taekwondo Side Kick

The Side Kick has been a staple of Taekwdondo since its origins and its title is simple but appropriate. Basically, this is when a Taekwondo practitioner kicks towards the side. The idea of the Side Kick is to hit the opponent on their chest or even tall and flexible enough, even the head. If done correctly, the Side Kick can instantly end a match or fight in your favor. The reason for this is the power generated from the kick which at times can be brutal. Because of its effectiveness, the kick is also used in MMA as well as Taekwondo and other martial arts that feature kicking.

Starting the Side Kick

The fundamentals of the Side Kick are quite important to grasp. The idea is to stand on one leg and use this to pivot on. With this standing leg in place, it allows you to kick using your other leg. In other words, you need to have a good standing leg to begin with otherwise the rest of the technique becomes invalid. To use the leg pivot, you need to plant it on the floor and then twist your foot to the side, 90 degrees. Imagine your opponent is standing opposite you. Instead of having your toes pointing to your opponent, you should move the foot so they are pointing to the side of the opponent.

This is where the kick gets the name, as you change your angle to perform the kick from the side. For example, a crane kick may take place whilst being directly opposite the opponent, whereas this works by kicking them from a side-on position. If you have the flexibility and manage to create this position, then everything else will fall into place.

Finishing the Side Kick

Once your leg and upper body has turned 90 degrees, it’s now time to kick using your other leg. Some people make the mistake of aimlessly flinging out their striking leg without brings it in beforehand. In brief, the idea is to raise your kicking leg up towards your body and bring your knee in, before unleashing the kick. The point of this is to use it like a coil spring. By bringing your knee inwards, this generates a lot of power that is otherwise missing. As the Side Kick can easily knock someone out, this is due to the movement of the knee which allows the leg to spring out rapidly.

Lastly, your foot should be flat when making contact. Some kicks such as the Axe Kick rely on using your heel to strike, others hit with your toes. Ideally, the Side Kick uses the sole of your foot to connect with your opponent. Remember, the bulk of your power is actually generated from the knee, but this transfers to the foot which ends the move.

You can choose to kick upwards to aim for the head, or straight ahead and aim for the chest. This decision rests solely on the personal preference of each individual and is down to their judgment at the time. Stylistically, the Side Kick is very similar to the Roundhouse Kick.

Troubleshooting the Side Kick

Effectively, you can break the Side Kick down into two parts. The first is with your standing leg, and the second part is with the kicking leg. In short, each leg has a fundamentally key part that can’t be missed. To recap, the standing leg needs to twist 90 degrees to move your body in line with the opponent. The kicking leg then needs to be done by initially withdrawing the knee and then striking out like a spring. Remember, with the Side Kick you should have your standing legs foot completely on the ground. This means you don’t kick off your toes and is done for balance and base.

It should also be noted that the Side Kick also has a spinning variation. This requires a lot more technique and is arguably more style over substance. To do this, you set up similarly but start by facing away from the opponent. This makes sense as you end up spinning to the complete opposite side mid-air. Although this move is still practical, it needs a lot more understanding and perfect movements to work. Therefore, the spinning Side Kick is an advanced move that is not recommended for newcomers.

The Side Kick in MMA

In case you doubted the Side Kicks application outside competition Taekwondo, look no further than the world of MMA. UFC champions such as John Jones and Conor McGregor have both used the kick to great success. If not used to finish an opponent, it can also be used as a defensive tool to fend off rival fighters. If your opponent is too aggressive and closes the distance, you can successfully kick them away and use your foot almost like a jab.

Combined with punches, the Side Kick can successfully be used as a combo attack. The Side Kick can put the opponent into space you’ve created, then you can add punches to these. As punches are also taught in TKD, this is a good system to fight with which can easily turn a fight in your favor. Perhaps the greatest ever fighter who relied on the Side Kick was Anderson Silva. The Brazilian would often use the kick as a devastating weapon.

Final Thoughts

The Side Kick is a great move that shows some of the best elements of Taekwondo. If used correctly it can be used to either defend or attack depending on the situation. Of course, like all great moves the Side Kick does require a lot of drilling and practice. You should not expect to be able to hit this move instantly and as mentioned, it also required a great level of understanding of its mechanics too. One issue that beginners may face is having an awkward stance.

Another issue often encountered is the lack of flexibility. Especially if you want to kick high on the body, you will need to have flexible legs to pull it off. Nonetheless, with the time put in, the Side Kick can really enhance your kicks and add to your game. With this in mind, whether you train TKD or general kick boxing, give it a try today, it could end up becoming one of your best moves.