Side kick (yoko geri)
The side kick (Yoko Geri) is one of the most powerful of all the karate kicks, especially when aimed at the ribs or solar plexus. You can strike by using either the side or the heel of the foot. I would recommend using the side of the foot when striking at the throat or neck, whereas the heel of the foot is best for all other targets such as the solar plexus, ribs or head.
How to perform a side kick (yoko geri)
The kick begins by bringing your knee up and then twisting sideways, thrusting your leg forward at your opponent while rotating your body on the supporting leg. Bend the supporting leg while kicking to give you better balance. Your foot should be pointed sideways with your toes pulled tightly upward, the striking surface being the side of the foot or the heel.
Return your leg to the ground quickly to stop your opponent from grabbing your leg.
The video clip shows Sensei Terry Lyon (5th Dan) performing Side Kick (Yoko Geri).
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Side kick (yoko geri): points to remember
- Keep your guard up while kicking. Do not throw your arms backward as you kick.
- Tilt your head slightly down and keep your chin tucked in.
- Try to keep your back straight and do not lean forward or backward while kicking.
- Practice your side kick low before you attempt to aim higher.
sarantos said:
well, this is NOT a side kick, it looks more like a bad performed roundhouse kick !! are you sure this guy is a 5th degree black belt ????
Sh0t said:
I had the same feelings. WTF is that?
sam said:
lol well that is a mawashi geri , not even a perfect one , please recheck this link , maybe u accidently named the file yoko geri thank you
jm said:
What a joke! Not a yoko geri, and the mawashi geri he does is also laughable. No wonder traditional karate gets clobbered on the street, with these j […] more
tulip said:
Karate kicks are inferior to tae kwan do kicks. I have seen so many karate black belt practising side kick in this way. Even round horse was not perfe […] more
lol said:
haha wtf is this guy doing laughed my ass off
David Watson said:
This man could barely get his foot off the ground and bring it back. The side kick is so similar to the roundhouse. This just proved how un adaptable […] more
confused said:
Okay…. What the heck was that? This guy even looked off balance. That wasn’t a sidekick. Maybe its just a karate thing. I’m in favor of Tae Kwon Do, […] more
JustDon said:
OK let’s not panic. This is not a good example of any kind of a kick. The man puts more impact into his shoulders than into his leg and frankly the ki […] more
ivan c. said:
Round kick that is chambered to the front is what used to be called in the old school Yoko Geri (Mawashi Geri is chambered to the side and then execut […] more
Jay said:
I know TKD and Karate, and they are all similar, but this guy’s side kick is worse than my dog kicks his back leg while he is peeing…. If I was his […] more
Charles K said:
I have seen some other “black belts” from Morio and they are not impressive with knowledge. I did a seminar at one of his 6th Degree Black belts schoo […] more
Dom said:
I pratice Oom Yung Doe and a 5th Level Black belt should not have that much trouble doing a simple side kick, or whatever that kick is called because […] more
dan said:
i was thinkin to myself maybe that guy in the video mugged someone to get that blackbelt, but after watchin that kick, i dont think he’d have won, he […] more
nes said:
don’t kid me, i’ve seen yellow belts with stronger and better yoko geri’s with better form……..unless he’s secretely hiding his true power……..i […] more
Mike said:
As somebody said this more looks like badly performed mawashi geri then yoko geri. Yoko geri is kick to the side and this guy is (trying) to strike in […] more
derek said:
Being 4th dan myself in karate I would not even show my students a kick performed this way except to show how NOT to do it. The supporting leg is goi […] more
Anasazi said:
Hehe, it’s more like a mawashi geri to mae geri. It looks really odd.