Low side-kick?

Lassard

Is the low side kick (to the knee cap) really as effective as it’s made out to be?
Perhaps I’m just rubbish at it but while practicing it as part of an attack/defence scenario, I found that the attacker’s stepping punch closed distance so quickly, that my kick was immediately stifled.
Basically his punch landed as my kick was chambered.

I can see how it would be useful while sparring, as a JKD style leg
“jab” , but in a spontaneous situation, against someone who’s almost close enough to punch me, this particular kick seems unworkable.

--amadeus--

Tools for the job - for example if there are multiple antagonists and one is beside you then a fast hard side kick to the knee will take him out enabling you to concentrate on the person in front.

You could pick virtually any technique and say "that's rubbish because..." but in the right circumstances it could / would be effective.

zappazappa

From what you described above it seems to me that you didn't try to parry the punch at all and just relied on using the kick. You have to see the 'big picture' of the attack...size of the attacker..speed of incoming punch..which fist..which leg is he stepping with..etc, and react to the totality of it all.
It (probably) would have been more effective if (in this case the attack was with a punch with right fist to your face) you had stepped to your left (creating distance), blocked the punch with your right hand while kicking to the side of the knee with your right foot.
This is of course simplifying it, however you MUST be multi-tasking and not use any one technique in isolation.

Hope this is helpful.

zappa

Lassard

Thanks Guys,

I did try simultaneously parrying the punch but the fact that I was on
one leg at the time meant that it just blasted through my defenses.
As was mentioned, I think a sidestep would have made all of the difference, getting off the attack line etc.

L

crosstrainer1

ive trained in 6 diffent striking styles i.e Karate, wing chun Thai boxing JKD and savate and i can say that the savate side kick is very effective it flows well, it jabs in and out and since the jkd side kick was devolped from savate they roughly trained in the same way check out you tube

Ug Lee

Rather than kicking when the opponent launches a punch, instead do the kick when the person steps into your distance. This can make all the difference.

Martin25

Low side kick is a very good weapon and can be used like a jab but its much more powerful. It requires practice and timing distance etc.
In JKD we use it with shoes or boots on and its a different weapon than barefooted and we do it power side forward. The kneecap is the favoured target and like all techniques it requires practice to be of any use.
Drop into our class and I will gladly show you how to do it.
all the best
Martin

Doug Cartel

Part of the reason knee kicks are so feared is that they have a *potential* to do some serious, permanent damage. This doesn't mean that every kick to the knee is going to cause huge damage though. Knees are funny joints, they can take huge shocks, but once they take the one that wrecks them, there's a good chance that they'll stay wrecked *forever*. So be careful.

The other thing is that if you're trying to kick someone's legs as they come in, you don't need to have a big chambered kick. If you just check their leg - something that feels more like doing a block than an attack - you can stuff their attack and leave them open to a follow up punch.

cletus

i think that the kick is not the one-shot fight ending wonder its somdetimes made out to be. Anderson Silva hit Thailes Leites with it repeatedly, with no shattered kneecaps or career ending injuries

Horioni

Use the Tools that fit the Range.
Long range Kick,
Mid range Punch,
Close range Knees and Elbows,
Extreme Close range Head Butts, Flesh and Fish Hooks, Bites and Breaks!