In Kickboxing, the Side Kick is one of the most powerful kicks that you can throw when you’re sparring. But there are some common mistakes that almost everyone makes as a beginner. Here’s a quick breakdown of 3 common mistakes. Be sure to take note of these common mistakes the next time you’re practicing your Side Kick so that you can avoid them and improve faster!
Mistake #1: Not Chambering Your Knee
Most people lift their leg when they’re kicking; but, just because you’re lifting your leg doesn’t mean that you’re kicking with effectiveness or with power. HOW you lift your leg is critical to how powerful your kick is going to be. For the Side Kick, you first need to lift your knee all the way up so that it is chambered into your chest and then extend it out towards your target. Only then will you get maximum power out of the kick.
Mistake #2: Aiming With Your Big Toe
Beginners typically execute the Side Kick with their big toe up to the sky. This is a mistake. The correct way to throw the Side Kick is to have your big toe aiming slightly to the ground. By doing this, you’ll be using the large muscles that make up the back of your hip, your gluteals, to power your Side Kick.
Mistake #3: Not Pulling The Toes
A floppy foot is a broken foot. Think of it this way, when you’re sparring, I want you want to kick your opponent so hard that if the kick lands, you’ll break your own foot. So that means that you need to pull your toes and make the base of your foot and structurally sound as possible so that your foot is protected. You can easily practice this by stomping your foot on the ground like you’re trying to crush a pop can.
