Variations and descriptions on the basic sidekick that is taught to beginning martial artists.
The basic sidekick is one of the first kicks a beginning karateka (student) will learn when he or she first starts out in the martial arts. Their Sensei will have them practice it religiously until the moves are embedded into their mind and body to the point its use can actually be instinctual.
After the first month of practicing this same kick many students are moaning about the boredom they are feeling and asking "Why can't I learn a flying or jumping kick?"
What most don't understand is the advanced kicks in martial arts are almost all based upon the three foundation kicks. These foundation kicks are the snap, roundhouse and sidekick. To understand the variations of a sidekick one must look at the beginning sidekick.
The sidekick is taught from a fighting stance and for this article it will be assumed you are right handed and want to use your strongest leg.
To assume a fighting stance, begin by turning your side to your opponent. Your right side should be facing forward and your feet are shoulder width apart with your knees slightly bent. You will want your right hand held in front of you balled into a loose fist held between the eye and the mouth. The arm is in proper position when it runs the same line as the body and the elbow is kept close to the body. Styles will vary as to where to place the left hand. In American Freestyle this hand is held up around the left cheek, in other words a boxer's stance.
The kick itself comes straight out from the body and off the front leg. To execute the kick, a student is taught it in four steps.
1. Bring the knee up as high as possible, flex the right foot so the heel is pointing toward the ground and pivot the back foot so it is facing away from your opponent. This will aid in opening up the hips to allow for a higher kick.
2. Extend the right leg straight at your target or opponent and exhale as you deliver the strike.
3. Retract the knee and leg into the "locked and loaded" position in case you wish to throw a second kick or as a block to a retaliatory strike.
4. Set the right foot back into the starting position.
Hook kick - When observed, the hook kick looks to be a sloppy sidekick. When done properly it comes out just like a high sidekick but instead of retracting it straight back, you bend the knee with a snapping movement while still extended. You purposely miss with the initial side kick and your opponent believes he or she is in the clear but you then hook the kick to hit them in the side or back of the head, neck, throat or even possibly the back or kidneys.
Hopping side - The hopping sidekick is a simple variation of the original sidekick that is used to close the distance between you and your opponent. To execute it you would take an actual hop toward your opponent, both feet would leave the ground and as the back foot touches the ground once more, the front leg and knee is already in the "locked" bent position and the kick is thrown. Once it leaves the ground for the hop, the front leg does not retouch the ground until the kick is delivered.
Sliding Side - As with the hopping side, this is a kick that allows you to cover ground and move in close. With it you will take a small jumping movement with the forward leg and immediately place it in the locked position while the rear leg slides forward but never leaves the ground. As it comes to a stop the kick is simultaneously thrown.
Spinning Back- This is a kick that will come off the rear leg. If you are in a fighting stance with your right side to your opponent, your head and upper body would whip counter-clockwise and the rear leg would simultaneously come up with the knee bent. The momentum behind the upper body and hips turning will add considerable power to the kick. After the kick is delivered, the left leg and side will then be in the forward position. Note: This move must be done quickly without signs of shifting the feet or shoulders ahead of time to be affective. It requires literally hours of practice on a heavy bag to become proficient in this maneuver.
Once the student has been able to perform these with some degree of proficiency, the Sensei will then move them up to the flying variations of the sidekick. All flying kicks are normally practiced upon the heavy bag.
Flying sidekick - The flying sidekick is simply what the name implies, a sidekick in which the person executing it is airborne. It should be executed from a straight on assault while timing and the accurate judge of distance are both vital to its completion. A student is normally started from a distance of 4 to 6 exaggerated steps away from the bag. He or she will move quickly forward, jump up, bend both knees and land the kick while in mid air. The rear leg will land first and the front one should be sure to retract with a bent knee as well. Landing straight legged repeatedly with knees locked can cause serious injury to the hips, knees and ankles so be sure to allow your knees to work as shock absorbers.
Flying back kick - This one is incorporates all the moves of the flying side kick but the kick comes off the rear leg so it is required that you not only become airborne, you are required to turn in mid-air and then deliver the kick. If the flying back kick sounds difficult, there is a reason for it. The kick IS difficult and martial artists with years of experience behind them still practice it in an effort towards perfection.
If you are a beginning student of the martial arts and becoming tired of the daily practice of the basic kicks, take heart. You can't perform the advanced kicks without knowing the basics and while it may seem boring, instruction in the flamboyant, high-flying kicks will soon be coming your way.
