Lead leg side kick.

Discussion in 'Tae Kwon Do' started by Vitty, Mar 2, 2013.

  1. Vitty

    Vitty Valued Member

    I've just got a curiosity question about the use of this kick, I'm taller than most of the guys I've come up against so far and the shorter guys seem to always rush me at the beginning of the match/round to shut me down and get inside my kicks.

    Now that I can do head kicks I'm considering using a side kick to the head as a deterrent to the first guy that rushes me, so I'm wondering if I should use the ball of the foot, heel or the blade? Also should I be aiming for under the chin or the more direct route and kick them in the face which I'm assuming would be more effective.

    Any help is appreciated.
     
  2. hardball

    hardball Valued Member

    Most tkd instructors teach the heel for side kick. What does your instructor teach? Eventually it's up to you, lots of people use the blade for side kick. The ball is mostly used for front thrust kick although it is also commonly used for the roundhouse kick too. Personally I prefer the instep for roundhouse kicks.
     
  3. YouKnowWho

    YouKnowWho Valued Member

    If you want to use your blade, you will need to do some special training. You can either stay in a low horse stance with both of your blades, or you can do slow walking with your blades (a very funny way of walking).
     
  4. Grass hopper

    Grass hopper Valued Member

    The heel.
     
  5. Vitty

    Vitty Valued Member

    Thanks for the replies, I figured the heel would be the best to use but just wanted to double check, hardball - my instructor usually teaches to use the blade for side kicks but I think I usually end up using my heel, and I also use my instep for roundhouse kicks, I tried to use the ball in one interclub comp after the dude I was up against kept punching me in the instep and left me a nice bruise but I couldn't get the hang of it.
     
  6. marinevet63031

    marinevet63031 Hapkido/Koryo Gumdo/TKD

    Use the heel man, it will be all. Good.
     
  7. Asterix187

    Asterix187 Valued Member

    I am not sure about others but i could count on the fingers of one hand the amount of times I have seen a side kick score to the head.
     
  8. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    I'm not strictly taekwondo anymore. But I think this is the wrong approach, honestly. I'd be looking at starting with 1) some of your longer hand techniques and 2) footwork to step off the line and let the guy charge right through like a bull. This lead leg kick idea should be on the end of a response, to me. Get them backpedaling with hand techniques and then kick them as they're retreating. Or evade their first onslaught then counter with kicks.

    I'm 6'1" and came from a taekwondo background originally. So I was a kicker through and through. Here's the problem: Kicks are relatively easy to see coming if thrown in isolation. And, at kicking range, they are isolated because clearly nothing else is close enough to pose a threat. Most people just back up a bit and, because you've just thrown your longest attack, you have nothing left to do. So you either put your foot down and try to close distance (and which point, the shorter guys will often blitz you because you're vulnerable) or keep your foot up and hope that they're carefree enough to close distance again.

    If you're PREPARED to let them close distance, and know how to create distance again afterward, you can go from punching range to kicking range, giving them lots to think about with backfists, reverse punches, etc. Then, as they're trying to escape that lot, you can throw your longest weapon: The lead leg side kick.

    Just a thought.
     
  9. Moosey

    Moosey invariably, a moose Supporter

    I think if you heel-kick your training partners in the face, you'll soon run out of training partners. Or, you'll peeve them off enough that they'll want to hurt you.
     
  10. Vitty

    Vitty Valued Member

    That's a fair point Moosey, I didn't think about that..

    Ap Oweyn - thanks for the advice, it's definitely something to think about, working out of their range and back into mine is something I haven't completely worked out yet, at last years nationals I was fighting a blue belt when I was still a yellow and he hammered me 15-2 in 58 secs :( I just couldn't get my range right and instead of moving close to shut him down I kept moving back into his range and he was scoring easily, I get what you mean about the punching etc but punches to the hogu aren't always scored, it depends on the judges.

    I think footwork may be my best option and I'll try to gain distance again by moving around them, at least now with being able to head kicking I can try crescent kicks etc if they're in close, whereas before I was like limited to just body shots. Thanks all so far for the advice, I've got about 2 months till my next tournament so it gives me time to prepare a strategy.
     
  11. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    Ah, well, I wasn't doing competitive taekwondo, so I won't be much help to you on that count. Sorry mate.

    I do still think that lots and lots of footwork is a good answer. Footwork is ALWAYS a good answer. I didn't do much of it in taekwondo. But most other styles I've practiced make it a priority.
     
  12. Vitty

    Vitty Valued Member

    Yeah I agree that working on my footwork will help me out a lot, I need to learn to shuffle sideways more to avoid being scored on as opposed to just standing there and trying to block it, I did it at an interclub comp last year where I moved sideways as he went to kick and it left him open for an easy point as he landed but sadly I haven't done it since then, so I'll need to work on that some more.

    In hindsight my thinking of I'll just head kick them as they come in was just giving me an excuse not to work harder on my footwork, but I realize that without putting the hard yards into training my footwork I'm not going to get much better than I am at the moment.
     
  13. liero

    liero Valued Member

    side kick to the face is actually not that uncommon in the "modern game". the check protects your body feom being scored on and you only have to touch the head tp score. with tbat in mint you should aim to score with the entire bottom part of your foot, imagine your heel landing on one eyeball and the toes wrapping around the other side of their headgear.

    even if your tall and flexible its a hard kick to score. I would suggest is your worried about people rushing in developing a good defensive back kick. it stops people in theor tracks and scores 2 points. if you want to use a front leg head shot, timing wise a roundhouse to the face is much easier to hit. if your REALLY fasy and flexible you can work on a straight up axe off the front leg.

    as always, none of this is useful tactics unless your stance allows you to kick and uour footwork and distance get you in the right range to hit the targets
     
  14. liero

    liero Valued Member

    sorry about spelling. its off my phone, should make sense I hope
     
  15. Kuniku

    Kuniku The Hairy Jujutsuka

    side kicks to the face can be very effective

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNw5A8rSdNg"]Shawn Michaels Sweet Chin Music Tribute - YouTube[/ame]

    ;D
     
  16. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    Personally I'd look to side kick into the hip/stomach region.
    Hit the centre of balance/mass and you can stop hit the guy.
    And it's easier to pop up quickly.
     
  17. Ben Gash CLF

    Ben Gash CLF Valued Member

    If you're having issues with people shutting you down in a foot-fight you're probably not going to be able to sidekick them in the face. Focus more on quicker, more "blunt" sidekick techniques to the hip and short-ribs to stop them, THEN kick them with you're main attack.
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF8GKWqKKsk"]steph gougne -chasse median - YouTube[/ame]
     
  18. liero

    liero Valued Member

    I agree its much faster and easier to hit!

    following up with a nice face kick after you stop them is a wonderful thing!
     
  19. Vitty

    Vitty Valued Member

    Thanks for the tips guys.

    Side kick to the ribs/hip does seem like the better way to go if I'm being rushed etc, I'm still working on improving my spinning back kick and also spinning hook kick, I've got like 5 fights coming up within 6 months so I've got plenty of time to practice, I'm just wondering about your opinions on the use of a front snap kick? I was talking to my coach at the last tournament about things and he brought up one time he was reffing and one of the guys snap kicked his opponent in the face and because it's not a kick that's used a lot his opponent wasn't expecting it and therefore didn't really block it and it apparently made a bit of a mess of his face.
     
  20. Kuniku

    Kuniku The Hairy Jujutsuka

    IMO front kicks are like side kicks, they work well to stop an on coming opponent, both kicks aimed to the solar plexus (preferably while the kick still has upward momentum as well) can really put a dent in your opponents breathing (depending how much contact you're allowed to make)

    Similarly both kicks are generally considered body kicks, if you find your opponent is dropping his guard to block low, you can surprise him/her by throwing one to the face to good effect too.
     

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