Side Kick
The Side kick ("Yoko Geri" in Japanese, "Yuhp Chagi" in Korean) Is a significantly more powerful pushing kick. Not meant for rapid attacks as much as it is to deal significant damage to the target. It is also slightly more difficult to execute. One mental image trick that seem to work very well even with younger children is the 'chamber' 'explode' metaphor. Get the student to visualize a bullet being chambered in a gun while picking up the kicking leg as high as possible. Then being fired with the 'explosion' out of the chamber. This trick really seems to help the student pull up their leg as high as possible then push with their heel to generate a lot of power. Just a metaphor tip.
- Stand in a fighting stance
- Bring your back leg up so your knee is near your chest, and your foot is somewhere near your hips (early on, don't worry about bringing it up quite this high, but the goal is to have the sole of your foot facing down, and the outside ("knife side") of your foot facing your target). This is sometimes called the "cocked position" because you are ready to fire.
- Kick your leg such that your kicking foot will draw a straight line from the cocked position to its destination. Kick with the heel of your foot, or if you are more advanced, the knife side of your foot.
- Return to the cocked position.
- Return your foot to the ground, in front of you. Your back leg now should have been your front leg before the kick, and vice versa.
