How to Develop a Powerful Side Kick

The martial arts Side Kick is known as the most powerful kick in the martial arts, especially in Taekwondo. (The round kick is very close in power, based on the practitioner.) It is not uncommon to see accomplished taekwondo practitioners break four or five boards with this technique! At KFMA, we specialize in Songahm Taekwondo, and there is a very specific way that we chamber (set-up) our side kicks during execution of the technique.

The following tutorial is designed to do three things:

1) Show you how to perform a proper side kick.

2) Explain the difference between chambering and executing a side kick versus a round kick (most errors in technique occur due to not fully understanding this difference).

3) Teach you how to practice your side kicks at home to develop the muscle memory to perform them quickly for use in sparring.

Performing a Proper Side Kick

The Stance

First, let’s take a look at the starting position for all of our kicks, a basic fighting stance. All of our kicks/attacks begin from the same basic fighting position, so as not to ‘telegraph’ the technique being thrown. There are certainly variations to this stance, but that is for another article.

The Chamber

The next position is the chambering of the kick. Several things happen at once during this step, beginning with drawing the knee up into the chest while pivoting the standing foot. The pivot is imperative, as it keeps the knee safe as the kick encounters force from your opponent/target, allowing the knee to give a bit in a natural motion. Without pivoting, pressure goes straight into the side of the knee, and knees don’t bend that way!!

From this angle, you will also notice that as the knee is drawn into the chest, the foot/ankle are also at the same level. Some styles teach that the foot is down and ‘flipped’ into the opponent. However, that is easier to block, and it goes against the essence of this kick… which is a thrusting technique. The toes are pulled back, so that the heel leads the attack to the target.

The Extension

The fully extended kick should also have proper alignment of the shoulders, hip and ankle, allowing for a clean, linear attack to maximize force.

After the kick is executed, the leg is rechambered in the same way it went in. If you practice on a 4-count, it would be Chamber/Pivot, Kick, Rechamber, Set down.

The Round Kick Difference

One of the most common mistakes for beginners is confusing the chamber for a side kick with the chamber for a round kick. Let’s take a look at the proper chamber for a round kick to see the difference. When executing a round kick, the shoulder, hip and knee are aligned, (the knee points towards the target), and the foot is drawn back to the rear as this is a ‘snapping’ kick, not a thrusting kick.

When fully executed the round kick is designed to strike with the ball of the foot or the instep. A side kick coming in from the side like this would simply skim off your target and lack the intended power and impact, and it would be difficult to make the initial contact with the heel.

How to Practice Your Side Kicks at Home

There are several easy ways to develop proper technique and muscle memory with your kicks, with the two simplest being 1) laying on the floor, and 2) standing while kicking over a chair.

Practicing on the Floor

To practice on the floor, lay on one side and prop up on your forearm, then work on drawing the knee fully into the chest (chambering) and slowly kicking straight out, making sure the heel is ‘leading’ the kick. This will help you to develop muscle memory and strengthen the muscles used in executing the technique.

Practicing while Standing

To practice while standing, first get into a fighting stance (you can use a counter or wall to allow you to support yourself with your back hand and to provide increased stability), and set a chair directly to the opposite side of your body. This will help you to develop the habit of bringing the foot up high when you chamber and pivot, so that the bottom of your foot is facing your target/opponent. Then kick straight out over the chair, making sure to check your alignment (shoulder/hip/ankle) as you extend the kick. Rechamber in the same way, bringing the knee back into the chest, and then setting the leg back down into a fighting stance.

Some Final Tips

As with most techniques, the more time you spend practicing this kick with perfect form, the more powerful and effective your technique will be. The side kick is taught at the White Belt level, however, mastery and perfection will take hours of practice, and will allow you to develop the more advanced and powerful versions of this kick (reverse side kick, jump 360 side kick, running jump side kick, etc.).

St. Teresa of Calcutta tells us that “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” If your goal is to develop a powerful and effective side kick, then disciplining yourself to practice these drills two to four times a week will definitely put you on the right path!

Note: To see more details on the traditional stances in Songahm Taekwondo, please see this article: https://teamkowkabany.com/practicing-traditional-karate-stances/

Kowkabany’s Family Martial Arts has been serving the Westchase, Odessa and Oldsmar communities in Tampa for almost 30 years, with all classes being taught by Chief Masters Laura and David Kowkabany. We are located at 13910 Monroes Business Park, just two doors down from the Tampa Bay Brewing Company. For more information, please feel free to contact us at 813-540-5528.