Re: knee kicks

[Damian (Instructor)]

It depends on where you are in relation to your target. The front kick gives you more distance and a little more speed. When you are a little farther from your target, it gives you some extra distance. The front kick is mechanically easier. this means its easier to learn. Where the front kick loses in power it makes up for in speed.

The side kick does give you more power and a larger surface area of the boot. If you are in a position where your lateral side is exposed than your hip is in line for the sidekick. The reason the side kick doesn’t feel as powerful in the beginning is because it needs to be practiced. It is mechanically more technical (even without chambering it). when learned side by side with the front kick, it is slower and less powerful in the beginning.

But you need the side kick to protect yourself from that angle even now. As long as it slows the target for a split second it has done its job.

In a few weeks, the side kick will catch up and you’ll see a difference.

Now which kick is better to attack the knee. We are splitting hairs here and I am only looking at this in a attack vs target scenario. Distance position and time are NOT and issue. Then I would go with the side kick for surface area and close range brute force. The front kick has a better chance of smashing or dislocating the patella rather than dislocating the knee and doing and ligament damage.