The first step is to make sure you begin in a proper stance. A horse stance is the best way to begin. A horse stance is achieved by placing your feet a little wider than your shoulders. With your knees slightly bent, keep your back and your head straight and look either right or left toward leg you want to use do the kick. In the horse stance you are relaxed and not rigid. Don't worry about your hands; let them go to your sides or hold them in front of you.
After you're in the horse stance take one foot and step behind and slightly past the opposite foot and as you do this rotate your hips so they are pointed in the direction of your target. It is important that the heal of foot being used to step behind the other foot is also pointed at your target. Now with your hips turned and pointed lift the leg you intend to kick with, the leg opposite the one used to step behind, and raise it like you were going to step on a bug. This is called the chamber position. From the chamber position thrust your leg out using a piston motion, leading with the heal of your foot. After your leg is extended, bring the leg back to the chamber position and return to your horse stance.
One of the biggest mistakes made in the execution of this technique is the failure to get the hips rotated toward the target. If the hips are not fully turned a great deal of power will be lost due to the fact that the kicking motion will have an arc instead of a straight line. Also, if the hips are not rotated, the chambered knee cannot be properly placed and the kick will start to resemble another technique altogether. All of these mistakes are easily avoidable with a little patience and practice.
If these steps are followed the sidekick can become a very powerful weapon in your arsenal. This kick is also the foundation for several other kicks in the martial arts. A beautiful sidekick can show the dedication you have and the time you put into your training.
Not one of my favorite kicks, but it comes in handy for me to back opponent up. I like how you are a very visual writer. I can picture in my head exactly what you are writing about. Nice job and thank You
ReplyDeleteYour thesis was very easy to pick out, 1st sentence of your 1st paragraph. In your second paragraph, the sentence " look either right or left toward leg you want to use do the kick." can be fix to "look either right or left towards the leg you want to use to do the kick." Overall, I didn't see any grammer. When I read your blog, I could see myself following your instruction in my head so it was really easy to follow. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteI like how you were able to actually give a step by step account of how to perform a side kick, even for someone like me that doesn't knoe how to do martial arts. Maybe some day you could be a teacher for this. Some thing to think about. I felt that your story went in order, how the process analysis should be written.
ReplyDeleteYour thesis was easy to pick out and I liked how I could see the kick happening in my head. It was also cool to hear about the terminology just in the kick itself, I did'nt know kicking was such a process! I think you missed a period in the third sentence, otherwise great job!
ReplyDeleteVery well described from start to finish. It is difficult to illustrate what the move looks like but in words you have "nailed it.' as someone who knows martial arts they would understand and practice by this.
ReplyDeleteNice explanation. Just a few typing errors. Well thought thru and thurough.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this essay! You explained it very well! knowing how to do one myself really helped but i think anyone can tell what you are describing how to do. Good job!
ReplyDeleteYour story is very descriptive. I also like that you explain certain steps, for example the horse stance. Good job!
ReplyDeleteGood job with your description. I think after reading this I could execute a proper sidekick, well probably not.
ReplyDeleteThe first sentence of the third paragraph is a run-on sentence. " After you're in the horse stance take one foot and step behind and slightly past the opposite foot and as you do this rotate your hips so they are pointed in the direction of your target." That could be cut into a few pieces. Other than that, great job.
ReplyDeleteThat makes sense about having your hips pointed at the target or you will lose power. Now I just gotta figure out how to get my leg up that high. Good description.
ReplyDeleteI have seen many Martial arts movie, my boyfriend loves them, as he trains in martial arts also. I may not know the names of the kicks and different moves, but just by you decscribing it, I can see what you are doing. I have a very good visual by your writting. Thanks for sharing this. Keep up the good work!
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