I say side kick is way stronger. The footwork of side-kick are set up for better balance since your toes are pointed back. Front kick the max is 90 degree, which wont give you the balance you needed for power kick.
Depends on the footwork or whether it is just from standing. My step up side kick owns all my other kicks. Anyone who has seen Bruce Lee side kick a 300lb bag or a person with a kick shield will know it's power (damn, I hate bringing up Bruce Lee, but it's a good example!).
I'd say side kick, just seems to me personally that you have more torque...(can't spell, and my fingers are cold) yeah, more torgue..torqe..in the kick.
-From sheer body mechanics, if the technique is done properly, the most powerful kick is the spinning back kick. Many people do not practice it enough or properly to get it down well enough to use it well, though. A mechanicallly weaker kick like a roudhouse (espescially the muay thai version) done well will hit harder than a poorly delivered stronger kick like a side or back kick. Also, obviously though very powerful, the back kick needs proper set up as a finishing blow, otherwise it will leave you extremely vulnerable. -Of the kicks listed, the side kick is the most powerful and in a tie w/ the lead leg round for being fastest in delivery. If you place your base foot's heel towards the target, you can thrust w/ both legs and use both the glutes and the hip flexors with great efficiency. In it's locked position, it's striking a linear strike with the heel in a straight line from the hip and femur. If chambered correctly, the kicker should be able to apply his/her weight into the kick as well. (BTW- the spinning back kick has all these attributes as well, plus more pre-stretch on the muscles and additional torque). -The front kick can be very strong, but only has a 45 degree angle on the base foot. Therefore it can't aplly as much potential force. Also, unless you are using the "push kick or muay thai version, it's not striking with as hard of a surface (heel), and even then, the bone and hip alignment is not as efficient. -I am talking about the potential of these kicks for power from a bio-mechnical standpoint, rather than style or even what works for the individual. In my experience, most students find it far faster and easier to develop a really powerful muay thai round than an effective side kick, let alone be able to safely set up and deliver a spinning back kick with any regularity. For myself, back when I was fighting full contact, I had more KO's with a hook kick, though it was not as powerful, I was reallllly sneaky in getting it in and used the heel with my weight so it still had KO power. You are truly going to be effective at what you effectively practice and pressure test.
A side kick sent to the chin can never be healthy. I only really do them to the body...and I'm sure that's not good for you either.
Depends on your definition of power. I'd have to go with what was said earlier: "whatever ends the fight." Geez, I'm the only hook kick enthusiast. Fine, I'll back it up. I've always found that a good hook kick to the kidneys can stun a guy even more than a front or side kick to the chest. People kind of expect their front to be attacked in a fight. (Even karatekas who train in point sparring focus too much on their front for a point, instead of the back as a target.) But shocking the kidneys can do quite a bit of damage. The hook kick takes a bit more finesse, in my opinion.
for me its my front kick, but as im still a low grade im still working on kicks in general. however, i chose side kick for the main reason that ive seen a lad send his opponent half way across the hall with a side kick and his opponent wasnt exactly small
mmmmm, hard to say...... depends on the kicker But of the ones listed I'll vote side kick, though I think there are much more powerful kicks than the ones you have listed
Tricky one... Side Kick was my first choice because It can break you in half. Then again, so can a good front kick. The problem with these is that a mis-timed shot leaves a "pushy" kick which although visually impressive (the opponent flying through the air) do little actual damage. A Muay Thai round kick is by far the most powerful of its kind (apologies to TKD/Karate stylists but it is true!). But again a mis-timed shot is "slappy". Hook kick? Please! No power at all - the damage requires TARGETTING not power. So assuming "Power" means impact and all things being equal I would have to go with muay-thai round kick I think. Ask me again in a week and I might have changed my mind though....
The side kick, needs the proper footwork to be powerful. Without it its worthless. The Hook kick in karate is just like a jab punch, fast but not a lot of power. The roundhouse kick is strong, but it tends to be slow. The front kick, however, has the advantage of being powerful without taking a lot of footwork and using minimum space. It also helps that this is the easiest kick to do. The flexibility required for a front kick is less than that of the other kicks which means more freedom of motion and hence power. It's easy to move a really heavy bag using a side kick with a forward shuffle. But if you are just standing there in front of the obstacle with very little space, its junk.
Well side probably is the most powerful since you can do yoko geri kekomi or keage (side snap and Thrust).
The most powerful is definetely the thai shin kick. Plus it hits with a heavier, sharper part of the body.