(Tutorial video)

Side Kick Low Tutorial

Japanese Term:

Sokuto Keage (SOE-KOO-TOE-KAY-AH-GEH)

Instructions:

After completing straight punch 6X, bring your left foot inward and then your right foot, one-half shoulder width each. Cross your right forearm over the left. Retract both arms, breathing in sharply. Follow directions from the open leg stance tutorial. Remember to tense the muscles of the body as you exhale. Begin by shifting your weight to one leg, keeping the knee slightly bent. This will be your standing leg. Lift the other foot off the floor and position it in front of the opposite thigh, above the knee. The kicking knee points to the forty-five degree angle. The big toe should be pulled up with the little toes pulled down. The kicking foot should point straight forward. Next, extend the kick downward and to the side slightly behind the hip, rolling the hip forward and pivoting your standing foot to the forty-five degree angle. Remember to pivot on the ball, not the heel. Use the blade edge of the heel for the kick, not the toes. The kicking leg should lock out, then snap the lower leg back, and then retract the entire leg back to the folded position (foot in front of the thigh). Finally, place the foot on the floor. The low side-kick utilizes a snapping motion. The blade portion of the heel is the kicking surface. It can be aimed at an attackers knee.

Remember that all kicking techniques are challenging, patience is key. Using a stable  object to eliminate balance challenges will help in developing technique and strengthen muscles required for each kick. Watch the tutorial carefully.