If you are a martial artist who practices side kicks, then you probably do quite a few with the edge of your foot.
You have been taught, correctly so, to kick with the "knife edge" of your foot, right? Would you be surprised to learn that I never kick with the edge of my foot? Never.
I'll tell you why I kick this way in a minute, but first, here's a benefit that I noticed with my modified kick..
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Easier Way to Get Kick Power I am not naturally a kicker.
Since I am a little overweight, I was absolutely overjoyed to learn that Bruce-Lee advised that we limit our kicks to a lower line.
Perfect for me.
Still, I needed a mid-level kick for practice and a few real occasions.
I started kicking with my heel at my teacher's, Steve Golden, recommendation.
My side kick that made contact with the heel instead of the edge worked perfectly for me.
And as an added benefit, I noticed that I had increased my kicking power.
More of my foot was making contact with the target.
I was less likely to hurt my foot in the kick, and I seemed able to get more "oomph" behind each kick.
(Remember, I was not naturally a kicker.
) Why Kick This Way? So, why do I kick this way? Easy -- I am minus a joint in each ankle.
My feet don't pivot to the side.
For example, I can't stand on the outside edges of my feet.
My ankles just don't move that way.
So, is this kick only for people with my particular joint limitation? Actually, I found that it's a great kick for heavier martial artists.
If you have flat feet, or wide feet, or limited flexibility, you might want to give this kick a try.
Kick Modification to Make This Technique Work Don't lift your foot along the side of your leg and then shoot it out in a separate motion for this kick.
Make it all one shot.
One motion.
Think about stomping with your heel, but instead of stomping down, you are going to stop with your leg more parallel to the floor.
Also, align your foot in a normal side-kick position, but leave your foot flat.
Make contact with the bottom of the foot.