My Front Kick Focus course is available at hard2hurt.teachable.com @Sensei Seth has a sidekick course at senseiseth.teachable.com (if you're into that sort of thing)
You uploaded a video 12 hours after filming it, so I'm terrified that you consider THIS suspiciously fast. I can only assume that it was uploaded instantaneously!
I'm so happy I stayed for the finale. My thought - front kick is easier for most people to learn because it requires less balance, flexibility and rotation (based on how I have learned the side kick). It requires less training to develop power and accuracy because it moves in a direction that we're mechanically more accustomed to. The chambering (knee raising straight up on the frontal plane) works using mechanics that many people are accustomed to in their daily routine assuming they are walking or running, have some stairs in their path at some point, or have done some sort of squat or lunge exercise. Other than stepping over a baby gate sideways, maybe getting on a bike I can't quickly think of a regular daily movement that puts me in a similar position to a side kick chamber (the way I have learned it). So, from a perspective of "best" being shortest path for learning the basic idea, I agree.
I'd say the Soccer kick is the best in that case. More power than a martial arts front kick and easier to learn (at least for the rest of the world who grew up playing proper football). Sure you can't kick the head, but who cares. Most people that don't know how to kick also aren't flexible enough to kick the head anyway. Also the soccer kick+headbutt combo has won so many street fights. Especially if you are wearing Doc Martens, which you should from a self defence perspective anyway. :)
This was glorious martial arts nerding, it's the conversation that happens in the gym/dojo on Saturday afternoon after open practice or Friday before/after sparring. And the ending was so epic.
So hyped for Jesse to be here, can't wait to see you spar Jesse and maybe cliff could spar Oliver that would be dope! Also you guys can talk about karate weapons from a self defense point and do weapon testing geez I'm excited
The stuff where y’all are just friends nerding out and bickering honestly are just so fun, love love love this format, and can’t wait to see Jesse’s video!
I used to side kick a lot back in the day when I was a TKD practitioner, but when I started Kick boxing , kyokushin and thai I realized how exposed you can get when it is sweeped, blocked or dodged. So I have to say front kick!!!
Years (8+) ago when I also did TKD, ended up loving the front kick after my instructor put me on my ass with a well timed one in sparring. It was like the easy counter to any spinning kicks that people tried. They spin, slide forward and kick them in the bum, they go falling over. Good one to chain other kicks/hands off of as well. It's also the one kick other than a knee that you can reliably do in tight jeans. If they are in too close, just turn it into a knee. Hell, just this weekend we saw it being used well by Oliveira against Dustin. Kept front kicking him in the gut. It's a great move.
i use the side kick a bit in muay thai and i learned it from my father the key is to not use it to much so it becomes a suprise but i have to also say front kick
Side kick for defensive positioning and keeping greatest distance between face and opponent. Front kick more aggressive and is better for setting up offense. Both are effective and important.
@Jacob Murray agreed. Especially in TKD. And A front kick can be used defensively too. They're interchangeable, but I'm referring to more primary and practical application. A side kick is very effective in defensive posture.
@Ben B good point. an opening sidekick might make the opponent feel like he doesn't have control over as much space as he thinks. You're establishing larger domain and giving the impression of having great reach. I don't pr3fer one over the other. I think the situation will dictate.
Sidekick leaves you open a microsecond longer. Pray opponent doesn't have footwork. Also, it's easy to just rush through. Front kick makes you feel like a goof when you walk into it over and over. So simple and yet so humiliating.
The front kick is the *jab* of the kicking World! Very versatile, quick, and safe to use in most situations. Don't get me wrong, I *love* the side kick, but it by nature is slower, telegraphs a bit from the slight shift in stance, and can be jammed easier. Gotta be on Team #FrontKick! All that being said... My instinctive go-to kick is usually the round kick...😅
the overhand right actually knocks out more people in the street than any other "technique"... the front kick is the easiest one to teach to beginners, telegraphs the least and demands the least flexibility aka: from the little girl to the old man nearly everyone can learn it in 15 minutes.
@@jamielondon6436 If you want a good sidekick you need to really workout your hip flexors, which are muscles people tend to neglect or just not use in any other capacity. You also need surprising flexibility to throw a sidekick and not compromise your balance, especially for higher kicks, though in my opinion the best target is always the midsection as it is a great compromise between speed and power. I always found training with ankle weights and a chair or level surface to be the best method of getting the technique down, and you should do this for every position you want to throw the sidekick from. Doing 5-10*5 every day while also working on isometric stretching (which is necessary for getting strength in the sidesplit ROM anyway) will make the sidekick feel far more natural. The comes bag work and learning how to put the hips behind it (i.e. learning how to snap the hips), and finally comes live practice. The absolute best drill you can do for a sidekick is done with a partner, everytime they advance you throw a sidekick, you can use different variations for different openings (if they are advancing from further away or keeping distance you can throw a spinning sidekick where you hyperextend the hips for power, for example, or if they are in striking distance jab with a lead leg sidekick or rear leg with a feint). In my opinion Taekwondo practioners have the best sidekick's, so if you want a killer sidekick, train like them. The people with the best sidekick's I knew had always spent year's working on it, I spent about 2-3 doing it myself and sidekicking felt very easy and effective. The issue I see in the kickboxing and MMA gyms I've trained in has always been that people throw them without putting that training in, and this results in a slow stiff sidekick. It's much easier to throw low-mid section roundhouses and front kicks, the technique of which are simple (it's just more natural to swing your hips or tilt them forward than snap them to the side) and they only require moderate flexibility which anyone can get through basic training (though if you want really good kicks anywhere above the waist you need both the splits, or at least 3/4 splits, and to have worked on isometric and dynamic flexibility). It's also why you don't see it much in MMA, because for a wrestler or BJJ player it's a tall order to build several years worth of flexibility and strength training in the short time they have to get ready for a fight. It's becoming more common in the younger generation of fighters though. Wonderboy Thompson and Zabit Magomedsharipov are two MMA fighters with really nice sidekick's, and use them very well, so it's definitely worth the investment. I wouldn't say the sidekick is a hard kick, it's much easier than spinning hook kicks or jumping back kicks, and it's the easiest kick to perfect after the front kick in my opinion, but it's like a good roundhouse (most people don't throw good roundhouses and throw it more like a high soccer kick than a proper Thai or Kyokushin roundhouse, which are the MAs with the best technique in my opinion) , it takes specific work to achieve high level technique, whereas the front kick is good to go once you have basic flexibility and timing down. It doesn't really require power in the legs either, because all the force comes from proper timing and technique. It's why it's great from the perspective of self-defence, you can teach people a good front kick in a few hours and with live practice they will be able to pick it up very, very quickly.
@@AveSicarius i train muay thai for over a year and struggle with sidekicks due to my hips. It hurts a lot when i try to raise it and fully extend it to perform it at best. It almost feels like a barrier to throwing it effectively. It's like a big cramp on the hip when i raise then extend my leg. It got a little better since i started training that specific area though.
I agree that the front kick is fast and versatile but I know I can generate more power with my side kick. However in a self defense scenario, that side kick isn’t coming out unless it’s a “finish him” move and that would defeat my self defense claim. Been training in a variety of styles since 1968 so in dojo hours, I’m long in the tooth. I’m no world champion but I’m still standing and kicking! Love the insights!
Right on, kinda hard to say self defense... you already knocked the shit out of your target before you taking that bomb out. I'm old now too...lifetime behind me now. I never hit another with a side kick in a real fight.. it's not necessarily necessary lol. Maybe multiple untrained attackers so you took a risk to remove one for good, he won't be re-enterning the fight if it lands proper. Side note ....I never had fought anyone that could fight, seems only hot tempered untrained folks go start shit...odd. I mean they might had one or two tricks that worked for them against other drunks I guess.
The front kick really is objectively the best kick in all of martial arts, very useful and applicable either for combat sports or self-defense scenarios.
front kicks are much harder to see coming and react to as well. My first kickboxing match years ago this guy was pointing me to death with that damn front kick. It was frustrating as hell but I realized how effective it was for scoring. Every time I would try to close the distance he would ping me with that front kick. His face was black and blue but he won on points.
I’ve used the front kick to neutralise a very heavy leg kicker years ago. He hit the floor several times, and became very frustrated and uncertain. Without that front kick, my thighs snd shins (from blocking) would have been toast! It’s one of my best kicks and I find it easier to land than the sidekick.
@@thomasfernandez1989 The hip joint to check the kick and the belly, solar plexus to put him over, as he’s kicking. When the front kick hits, he’ll be on one leg and committed to his kick. You don’t need power in the teep either. A light, fast, well timed shot will neutralise his kicks pretty efficiently and likely put him over.
When you are in a bladed stance, the side kick is used like a front kick, and has the same advantages that a front kick has in a squared up stance. The roles reverse.
@Hue Wong worse for what? A bladed stance makes different trade offs from a squared up one. For example in a squared up stance you can much more easily use your rear hand and leg, but you present a much larger target area. In a bladed stance you present a much smaller target area and the attacks that can be used against you are different. Similarly blading vs squaring up can communicate different things to a potential attacker or source of conflict. if you tell me what are you trying to achieve, and what scenario are you expecting we could have the argument, but it would still come down to which approach to that scenario you want to take, and what weapons/skills you have to hand.
@@kamilpawlowski6576 While you present a larger target, a square on stance gives you all four limbs to block with plus you can easily slip, bob, weave, duck, side-step, sprawl and even go bladed if required.
@@dorkangel1076 all those things can be done from a bladed stance. (you've recapitulated my response to hue). that being said many karate people (who I've seen blading from the most) don't learn enough boxing to do any of them. Watch early karate combat and you'll see.
@@dorkangel1076 You can easily do all that from a bladed stance if you have the necessary tools, and you can also do exactly as you've said and swap to a more square stance. The biggest weakness of a side on stance is low kicks because you can't easily check them with an angled shin from that position, but if you understand distancing you can avoid that in the first place. Wonderboy doesn't really have any grappling pedigree and has made serious use of a side on stance in MMA without having any serious problems aside from good wrestler's who would present a challenge for any striker without top notch TDD, like prime Machida, who also often used a bladed stance (though he did square it up more than the traditional side on point-striking stance). Honestly a side on stance makes you less of a target for a double leg and allows you to shift your weight more easily if your opponent goes for a single leg, at which point you can either drop forward to try and stop them taking the leg, or shift backwards, let your opponent overextend as you move to sprawl yourself and step backwards while pivoting away to try and break their grip. If that works you are going to be in a position to try and take their back if they committed and weren't able to throw you off balance. There are plenty of options to defend yourself from both stances, but there are benefits to a bladed stance, which is why people still use it in MMA. It does favour matchups against strikers more than grapplers, but if you maintain distance well and have good TDD you can force a grappler to standup with you anyway.
The comraderie between mike and seth consistently has me grinning from ear to ear on every video. I can only hope that they're as fun off camera as they are on it 😂
As primarily a longsword fencer, I'm very much in favour of the front kick; especially a push style kick, for the exact reason Mike said: you keep the rest of your body stable, so you can simultaneously use your sword to defend and/or immediately follow up with the sword after the kick.
I love it when people learn that I did Taekwon-Do for years and ask me about how I would do all those fancy kicks in a fight. I always answer, " I don't ." I've been saying the front kick is underrated for yearrrrrsss.
You guys are amazing content creators. You give really good information, you’re entertaining, you don’t take yourself too seriously, and you’re legitimately funny. Hard 2 Hurt has some of the best edits in the business! Great job
Typically I always assumed it came down to stance. Side Kick - Side Stance Front Kick - Squared Stance But alot of good points I've heard here pretty much boil down to the same can be said for the other. But as a very typical breakdown Front kick can build more offense for other attacks at expense of legnth where as the Side kick is mainly best for lead hand/lead foot distance striking or following up with a spinning attack.
Lol you guys are nuts, please don't stop. 😂 Stoked that Jesse's joined you, and is that Oliver in the background! You guys just get better and better. 🙏 Respect.
Front kicks? Side Kicks? Clearly you guys havent seen me throw the backwards/donkey kick, the most superior of all kicks... 😂 Also that ending was like an MCU post credits easter egg level of reveal 😱
LOL! The debating skills on display here are awe inspiring! I had to take notes! "Front kick!", "Side kick!", "Front kick!", "Side kick!!!"... I will never lose another holiday family get together political debate. Thanks guys! ( Love your videos! )
In terms of self-defense for concealed carriers, I was thinking the Muay Thai Teep/"Front kick" would be a pretty decent tool to get someone off you, create space, and remain squared so you can defeat garment + draw and hand out freedom seeds.
Side kicks do take more skill to be effective, but as far as versatility IMO they are equal since they can both be thrown to the same targets moving forwards, backwards, or side to side. As far as distance you can cover with each kick, side kicks win hands down especially with a pendulum or step behind type kick. If we are talking a broad demographic with trained and untrained fighters then the front kick wins hands down, but if you narrow that demographic to only trained fighters then it could go either way depending on the individual fighters abilities.
With the exception of boxing and grappling for obvious reasons every other martial art has some form of a front kick/teep. I'm going with Mike on this one. Besides side kicks don't work. Even when they do. Edit: Seth brings up some damn good points with the side kick though. The front kick is a lot more accessible to anyone as far as simplicity goes.
Agree that a front kick is more versatile, less telegraphed, easier to use in a fight. Disagree that front kicks have more power and range than a side kick. Overall, I use front kicks more often and rarely miss or get jammed up (delivering too close to maximize power) with them.
The Thai side kick (basically halfway between a front kick and a karate side kick) actually has more range than either though, and feels more like a front kick with a little hip rotation IMO despite the name.
I love all three of these guys. At one point the go t guy didn’t get a long with Jesse but they are friends now but I love all three of their styles and their teaches and opinions. Very well put video!
Nice transition to Jesse and Oliver at the end. I gotta give it to Seth though on the side kick. Mike certainly has some valid points on the front kick, but his point related to stance is kind of a personalized one and not objective. People like Seth or Wonderboy who use more of a bladed stance would argue the side kick is equally unobtrusive to their stance.
Counter point: side kick is only unobtrusive in a single style/stance: a wide bladed karate one. For every other stance, the side kick is harder to apply in a similar manner. The front kick is more accessible to literally anyone who doesn’t/hasn’t practiced pure karate/TKD. Plus, even in a point style stance, it’s difficult to transition from a side kick to say a overhand bc of the length of the side kick. When you throw a side kick, you’re kinda committed to a long range fight. I could take a brawler or infighter like Tyson, teach him a front kick, and he’s be able to use it without any adjustment to his style at all. Most Muay Thai style fighters religiously use front kicks like a jab. I could take a pure wrestler, teach him a front kick, and he would still be in the same stance he would be in for takedowns. It’s easier to teach a front kick to beginners, takes less flexibility, takes less time to master, can be thrown anywhere from longest to mid range with little adjustment, can be thrown in almost every stance, is a less telegraphed movement, can be followed up with almost every strike…
@@juliansanderson839 All great points and very well put. My only argument with it would be the same one I have with Mike’s, and I suppose it’s more of a philosophical one. The comment about the front kick being less obtrusive to your fighting stance is based upon what type of stance you use. You correctly stated that it is really only in the case of a very bladed karate/TKD stance where the side kick is less disruptive. However, this makes the comment subjective, and therefore not an objective truth, which was one of the points Mike kept trying to hammer home in the video.
@@philipschinetsky I’m not trying to belittle you here, but i don’t think you know what subjective means, or at the very least aren’t using the right word. You could claim that Mike is being subjective because he’s basing it off his own experiences and doesn’t use a side stance, that’s valid. But nothing I said was inherently subjective. A front kick can be thrown in almost every stance. A side kick only has a similar function in the wide bladed one. Theres no bias there as you don’t know what style I practice, and for all you know I’m speaking from a karate background. The front kick is a lot more effective and non-commital in most foot positions.
@@juliansanderson839 that’s exactly my point. Mike is being subjective but claiming to make a objective statement, repeatedly so. He’s making a true statement, but one that is tied to a person’s fighting style/stance, which therefore makes it subjectively true and not objectively.
While a Front Kick is faster from a static position, Side Kicks are more powerful and (I find) more natural to step into and throw at mid & longer ranges (trying to close into a front kick is kinda awkward and ends up telegraphed). Love the video & collabs with Seth & Jesse - keep up the great work!
No spoilers, but if haven't seen this video, WATCH TO THE END! Plus front kick or side kick? It depends on what I'm trying to do and my body position when I see an opening. Love them both.
Side kicks generate far more power in my opinion. It also is harder to get taken down. Also the versatility is better. Low line side kicks are also used in grappling range depending on who is throwing it. Not taking anything away from the front kick. Front kick is pedestrian and side kicks are king.
How about the frontkick as a defence against a low kick. If i see low kick coming in time during sparring, i often use this it in stead of blocking with my shin.
Side kick is objectively better: 1: More Power 2: More Range 3: Better Recovery 1. More power: The side kick has more power because it literally is a tilted over leg press, think of it as a sideways stomping attack. For lifters a leg press is the most weight the human body can move. This is why the side kick generates the more force. 2. more range: Not only do you get more range because your body is bladed you get to lean back keeping your head and torso further away from your opponent allowing you to strike safely. 3: Better Recovery: All of these points can be greatly amplified with the use of the pendulum step, but recovery is an added ability, countless times people get punched for throwing a front kick not only because their head stays in range but because they have nowhere to go while in recovery, the pendulum step allows you to get away while recovering your kick.
I would say the front kick has the edge over the side kick..quicker to deliver to your opponent and you can maintain your stance.. reference Travis brownes KO over Alistair Overeem to see a good example of how useful the front kick can be
You guys are fun to watch and obviously knowledgeable. I will throw in my opinion with 30+ years in Kenpo and as a student of the late great Frank Trejo. This argument is like trying to decide what is a better tool, a hammer or a screwdriver. Then, do you need a Phillips or Standard? A framing hammer or a finish hammer. That said, the best tool you have in a fight is the one you have the most control over. If you can't get your foot high enough with a front kick, chances are you can with a side kick. Lots of variables, but I love seeing you guys debate. And please keep these coming. One of the biggest problems we had at the beginning days of the UFC was the end of interdisciplinary respect and fun. This took me back to the old days in North Hollywood with some guys that I would join at a gym on Burbank Blvd and geek out on who had the best move for each attack. The debates led to some of the best training I ever experienced and it was always hard to call it a night.
@@combatsportlover6919 Depends on the school I guess. In the system I train, we don't have a side kick, and I would never teach anyone a side kick for self defense.
I agree. It’s the most useful and versatile. Because it has so many variations and applications. Plus, it can be done from a proper fighting stance and follow up with a round house , or side kick. The shoulders don’t need to move to apply power and can be done at any level: Ankles to head.
Mostly agree. Front kick is the obvious go-to; sidekick makes sense if you have ended up side-on (say after throwing a round kick) or are attacked from the side. But sidekick also has the advantage of slipping under a guard, while protecting the small bones of the foot if it gets blocked, and the shin.
it's precisely for all of those merits i think the front kick appears in classical martial arts the most often, especially done below the waist. next to that are side kicks directed to the knees or knee kicks. thanks for bringing this up!
Awesome video! Great ending! So happy that the community is getting together! Imagine all the cool. Knowledge that will be shared and learned through these exchanges!
I agree, the front kick is a more natural body movement which sets up the hands very well. Emin Botztepe, Wing Tsun, has quick powerful front kicks which brings him into his opponents space. I once knocked out a competitor in a karate tournament with a lead leg side kick to the chest. I never knocked out an opponent with a front kick, but have ended a contest with a good front kick to the abdomen. I’m a Goju man, and I like that the Goju katas uses both front and low side kicks with an emphasis a little more on the front kick. Both kicks a great and definitely should be practiced equally. Good discussion fellas!
My Front Kick Focus course is available at hard2hurt.teachable.com
@Sensei Seth has a sidekick course at senseiseth.teachable.com (if you're into that sort of thing)
It sounds like some kind of fetish when you put it in parenthesis.
Ive done shotokan karate and i still agree the best kick is the front kick and its way harder to read than a side kick
The only thing i might use a side kick for is the knees
I'd buy Seth's but I don't swing that way
Dude that's the base conept of WT, you just learned the base concept of the whole WT, when the opponent closed in kick.
Bro how in the heck.. we just filmed this
Mike is the MOST passionate about the front kick. That's how.
Because the Front Kick is that much better
You uploaded a video 12 hours after filming it, so I'm terrified that you consider THIS suspiciously fast.
I can only assume that it was uploaded instantaneously!
😂😂😂😂
lets be real... it wasn't exactly a difficult edit lol. plus the surprise is already out on IG so i wanted to put it up
I'm so happy I stayed for the finale. My thought - front kick is easier for most people to learn because it requires less balance, flexibility and rotation (based on how I have learned the side kick). It requires less training to develop power and accuracy because it moves in a direction that we're mechanically more accustomed to. The chambering (knee raising straight up on the frontal plane) works using mechanics that many people are accustomed to in their daily routine assuming they are walking or running, have some stairs in their path at some point, or have done some sort of squat or lunge exercise.
Other than stepping over a baby gate sideways, maybe getting on a bike I can't quickly think of a regular daily movement that puts me in a similar position to a side kick chamber (the way I have learned it).
So, from a perspective of "best" being shortest path for learning the basic idea, I agree.
I'd say the Soccer kick is the best in that case. More power than a martial arts front kick and easier to learn (at least for the rest of the world who grew up playing proper football). Sure you can't kick the head, but who cares. Most people that don't know how to kick also aren't flexible enough to kick the head anyway. Also the soccer kick+headbutt combo has won so many street fights. Especially if you are wearing Doc Martens, which you should from a self defence perspective anyway. :)
And in the long term, it's not going to damage your hips and lumbar column as much as the side kick does...
I absolutely love how the ending perfectly sums up the whole video
Haha funny af
Good p'sition
Check it out!
@@Kali-8 The largest smile grew upon my face when Jesse turned the camera around to reveal he was the camera man and Oliver was chillin off screen.
This was glorious martial arts nerding, it's the conversation that happens in the gym/dojo on Saturday afternoon after open practice or Friday before/after sparring. And the ending was so epic.
That doesn’t involve looking at female Muay Thai fighters. (I got some pigs at my school)
So hyped for Jesse to be here, can't wait to see you spar Jesse and maybe cliff could spar Oliver that would be dope! Also you guys can talk about karate weapons from a self defense point and do weapon testing geez I'm excited
Same
You and me both sir.
Change your profile picture
@@channelroninL but when can we do some judo with yiu g tho
Totally!!
Love it. I agree, the front kick is massively versatile and non-disruptive to countless other techniques with little or no setup or telegraphing.
The stuff where y’all are just friends nerding out and bickering honestly are just so fun, love love love this format, and can’t wait to see Jesse’s video!
I used to side kick a lot back in the day when I was a TKD practitioner, but when I started Kick boxing , kyokushin and thai I realized how exposed you can get when it is sweeped, blocked or dodged. So I have to say front kick!!!
Years (8+) ago when I also did TKD, ended up loving the front kick after my instructor put me on my ass with a well timed one in sparring. It was like the easy counter to any spinning kicks that people tried. They spin, slide forward and kick them in the bum, they go falling over. Good one to chain other kicks/hands off of as well. It's also the one kick other than a knee that you can reliably do in tight jeans. If they are in too close, just turn it into a knee.
Hell, just this weekend we saw it being used well by Oliveira against Dustin. Kept front kicking him in the gut. It's a great move.
i use the side kick a bit in muay thai and i learned it from my father the key is to not use it to much so it becomes a suprise but i have to also say front kick
Side kick for defensive positioning and keeping greatest distance between face and opponent.
Front kick more aggressive and is better for setting up offense.
Both are effective and important.
Great point. Both are needed. I prefer a side kick as an initial/opening move. If I absolutely had to choose one, I’d choose the front kick.
Side Kick can be offensive too, the body rotation sets up a massive power shot with the back hand.
@Jacob Murray agreed. Especially in TKD.
And A front kick can be used defensively too. They're interchangeable, but I'm referring to more primary and practical application. A side kick is very effective in defensive posture.
@Ben B good point. an opening sidekick might make the opponent feel like he doesn't have control over as much space as he thinks. You're establishing larger domain and giving the impression of having great reach. I don't pr3fer one over the other. I think the situation will dictate.
Sidekick leaves you open a microsecond longer. Pray opponent doesn't have footwork. Also, it's easy to just rush through. Front kick makes you feel like a goof when you walk into it over and over. So simple and yet so humiliating.
The front kick is the *jab* of the kicking World! Very versatile, quick, and safe to use in most situations. Don't get me wrong, I *love* the side kick, but it by nature is slower, telegraphs a bit from the slight shift in stance, and can be jammed easier. Gotta be on Team #FrontKick!
All that being said... My instinctive go-to kick is usually the round kick...😅
I had a feeling Maddox wasn't behind the camera! Nobody can match that kid on talent with a camera, straight up.
Also felt the difference haha
@@AlexisSele right I think he’s injured
the overhand right actually knocks out more people in the street than any other "technique"...
the front kick is the easiest one to teach to beginners, telegraphs the least and demands the least flexibility aka: from the little girl to the old man nearly everyone can learn it in 15 minutes.
The key point Mike mentions: Anyone can throw a front kick.
Yep. Doing a good side kick is surprisingly hard.
@@jamielondon6436
If you want a good sidekick you need to really workout your hip flexors, which are muscles people tend to neglect or just not use in any other capacity. You also need surprising flexibility to throw a sidekick and not compromise your balance, especially for higher kicks, though in my opinion the best target is always the midsection as it is a great compromise between speed and power.
I always found training with ankle weights and a chair or level surface to be the best method of getting the technique down, and you should do this for every position you want to throw the sidekick from. Doing 5-10*5 every day while also working on isometric stretching (which is necessary for getting strength in the sidesplit ROM anyway) will make the sidekick feel far more natural. The comes bag work and learning how to put the hips behind it (i.e. learning how to snap the hips), and finally comes live practice. The absolute best drill you can do for a sidekick is done with a partner, everytime they advance you throw a sidekick, you can use different variations for different openings (if they are advancing from further away or keeping distance you can throw a spinning sidekick where you hyperextend the hips for power, for example, or if they are in striking distance jab with a lead leg sidekick or rear leg with a feint).
In my opinion Taekwondo practioners have the best sidekick's, so if you want a killer sidekick, train like them. The people with the best sidekick's I knew had always spent year's working on it, I spent about 2-3 doing it myself and sidekicking felt very easy and effective. The issue I see in the kickboxing and MMA gyms I've trained in has always been that people throw them without putting that training in, and this results in a slow stiff sidekick. It's much easier to throw low-mid section roundhouses and front kicks, the technique of which are simple (it's just more natural to swing your hips or tilt them forward than snap them to the side) and they only require moderate flexibility which anyone can get through basic training (though if you want really good kicks anywhere above the waist you need both the splits, or at least 3/4 splits, and to have worked on isometric and dynamic flexibility). It's also why you don't see it much in MMA, because for a wrestler or BJJ player it's a tall order to build several years worth of flexibility and strength training in the short time they have to get ready for a fight. It's becoming more common in the younger generation of fighters though.
Wonderboy Thompson and Zabit Magomedsharipov are two MMA fighters with really nice sidekick's, and use them very well, so it's definitely worth the investment. I wouldn't say the sidekick is a hard kick, it's much easier than spinning hook kicks or jumping back kicks, and it's the easiest kick to perfect after the front kick in my opinion, but it's like a good roundhouse (most people don't throw good roundhouses and throw it more like a high soccer kick than a proper Thai or Kyokushin roundhouse, which are the MAs with the best technique in my opinion) , it takes specific work to achieve high level technique, whereas the front kick is good to go once you have basic flexibility and timing down. It doesn't really require power in the legs either, because all the force comes from proper timing and technique. It's why it's great from the perspective of self-defence, you can teach people a good front kick in a few hours and with live practice they will be able to pick it up very, very quickly.
@@AveSicarius i train muay thai for over a year and struggle with sidekicks due to my hips. It hurts a lot when i try to raise it and fully extend it to perform it at best. It almost feels like a barrier to throwing it effectively. It's like a big cramp on the hip when i raise then extend my leg. It got a little better since i started training that specific area though.
I agree that the front kick is fast and versatile but I know I can generate more power with my side kick. However in a self defense scenario, that side kick isn’t coming out unless it’s a “finish him” move and that would defeat my self defense claim. Been training in a variety of styles since 1968 so in dojo hours, I’m long in the tooth. I’m no world champion but I’m still standing and kicking! Love the insights!
Yeah, don't use a side kick in a real fight, even though it's more powerful. It's too risky. Front kick leaves you in a much better position.
@@deecampbell.rva-2If you master the side kick its great to use in a fight, but sparingly and calculated
Right on, kinda hard to say self defense... you already knocked the shit out of your target before you taking that bomb out. I'm old now too...lifetime behind me now. I never hit another with a side kick in a real fight.. it's not necessarily necessary lol. Maybe multiple untrained attackers so you took a risk to remove one for good, he won't be re-enterning the fight if it lands proper.
Side note ....I never had fought anyone that could fight, seems only hot tempered untrained folks go start shit...odd. I mean they might had one or two tricks that worked for them against other drunks I guess.
The front kick really is objectively the best kick in all of martial arts, very useful and applicable either for combat sports or self-defense scenarios.
Agreed
Its the nut kick everybody can do.
Not sure if the front kick or the roundhouse kick. One thing is for sure: more people get knocked out by roundhouse kick than by a front or side kick
@Spodo bbb popularity of something doesn't make it a fact, but yea, front kick is better :p
I was waiting for Mike to just get sidekicked across the mat
front kicks are much harder to see coming and react to as well. My first kickboxing match years ago this guy was pointing me to death with that damn front kick. It was frustrating as hell but I realized how effective it was for scoring. Every time I would try to close the distance he would ping me with that front kick. His face was black and blue but he won on points.
Do front kicks hurt
@user-ly4ig2rq4o spar in a gym and you'll find out lol
Oh man that ending was great. IT"S FINALLY HAPPENING
Taekwondo athlete and kickboxer and i love my front kick. Best kick and literally the first kick you learn in taekwondo.
I’ve used the front kick to neutralise a very heavy leg kicker years ago. He hit the floor several times, and became very frustrated and uncertain.
Without that front kick, my thighs snd shins (from blocking) would have been toast!
It’s one of my best kicks and I find it easier to land than the sidekick.
where do you aim at to counter Lo kicks ? like hip joint, belly, standing leg ? curious cause I fing the belly teep pretty hard to land
@@thomasfernandez1989 The hip joint to check the kick and the belly, solar plexus to put him over, as he’s kicking.
When the front kick hits, he’ll be on one leg and committed to his kick.
You don’t need power in the teep either. A light, fast, well timed shot will neutralise his kicks pretty efficiently and likely put him over.
@@Philo68 true, I Guess I still need to work on that :)
@@thomasfernandez1989 See Mike’s course - I don’t have it but I’m sure it’ll help your game big time.
@@Philo68 might be worth it ;) ! thanks buddy
Icy Mike and Sensei Seth as a buddy cop karate movie is what this world needs.
When you are in a bladed stance, the side kick is used like a front kick, and has the same advantages that a front kick has in a squared up stance. The roles reverse.
My thoughts exactly.
@Hue Wong worse for what? A bladed stance makes different trade offs from a squared up one. For example in a squared up stance you can much more easily use your rear hand and leg, but you present a much larger target area. In a bladed stance you present a much smaller target area and the attacks that can be used against you are different. Similarly blading vs squaring up can communicate different things to a potential attacker or source of conflict. if you tell me what are you trying to achieve, and what scenario are you expecting we could have the argument, but it would still come down to which approach to that scenario you want to take, and what weapons/skills you have to hand.
@@kamilpawlowski6576 While you present a larger target, a square on stance gives you all four limbs to block with plus you can easily slip, bob, weave, duck, side-step, sprawl and even go bladed if required.
@@dorkangel1076 all those things can be done from a bladed stance. (you've recapitulated my response to hue). that being said many karate people (who I've seen blading from the most) don't learn enough boxing to do any of them. Watch early karate combat and you'll see.
@@dorkangel1076
You can easily do all that from a bladed stance if you have the necessary tools, and you can also do exactly as you've said and swap to a more square stance. The biggest weakness of a side on stance is low kicks because you can't easily check them with an angled shin from that position, but if you understand distancing you can avoid that in the first place.
Wonderboy doesn't really have any grappling pedigree and has made serious use of a side on stance in MMA without having any serious problems aside from good wrestler's who would present a challenge for any striker without top notch TDD, like prime Machida, who also often used a bladed stance (though he did square it up more than the traditional side on point-striking stance).
Honestly a side on stance makes you less of a target for a double leg and allows you to shift your weight more easily if your opponent goes for a single leg, at which point you can either drop forward to try and stop them taking the leg, or shift backwards, let your opponent overextend as you move to sprawl yourself and step backwards while pivoting away to try and break their grip. If that works you are going to be in a position to try and take their back if they committed and weren't able to throw you off balance. There are plenty of options to defend yourself from both stances, but there are benefits to a bladed stance, which is why people still use it in MMA. It does favour matchups against strikers more than grapplers, but if you maintain distance well and have good TDD you can force a grappler to standup with you anyway.
The comraderie between mike and seth consistently has me grinning from ear to ear on every video. I can only hope that they're as fun off camera as they are on it 😂
Side Kick all the way. Also, seeing you all together in the same Dojang is a christmas present come early!
I rather the knife gets caught on my boot hell than my stomach
That ending was FANTASTIC.
As primarily a longsword fencer, I'm very much in favour of the front kick; especially a push style kick, for the exact reason Mike said: you keep the rest of your body stable, so you can simultaneously use your sword to defend and/or immediately follow up with the sword after the kick.
Yeah the front kick is literally in the
longsword treatises.
Hey! I do German Longsword fencing myself! It's cool to see other people in the hobby :o)
Damn. When something still works in both unarmed AND armed combat, that’s how you know it’s good.
Nah, throw a side kick and then use it to set up a spinning cut
@@moreparrotsmoredereks2275 excuse me… what now xD
Both kicks are important depending on when and how you use them. Alot of time fighting is like a chess game.
Ooh boy this is gonna be good
that ending was awesooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooome
This was friggin EPIC! Cant wait to see what else you 4 do together.
I love it when people learn that I did Taekwon-Do for years and ask me about how I would do all those fancy kicks in a fight. I always answer, " I don't ." I've been saying the front kick is underrated for yearrrrrsss.
I love the front kick or "teeping".. I have to agree with you to some extent. Some are more fun, but nothing is more useful.
You guys are amazing content creators. You give really good information, you’re entertaining, you don’t take yourself too seriously, and you’re legitimately funny. Hard 2 Hurt has some of the best edits in the business! Great job
That ending was perfect
I feel like a spar where you can only use whichever kick you think is better would be very interesting
Side kick to the Knee, and head
Front kick to the groin, stomach
And head.
Round kick to calf thigh body and head
Great video!
The unseen Jesse is the deadliest.
League?
That last part was amazing!!!! This is the crossover Collab we needed, yes! Absolutely yes!!!
8:05 HOLY SHIT THAT ENDING
Jesseeee! Hälsningar från Malmö!
All My favorite Martial Arts RUclipsrs in the same room. (I love you too Wonderboy ;) )
Typically I always assumed it came down to stance.
Side Kick - Side Stance
Front Kick - Squared Stance
But alot of good points I've heard here pretty much boil down to the same can be said for the other. But as a very typical breakdown Front kick can build more offense for other attacks at expense of legnth where as the Side kick is mainly best for lead hand/lead foot distance striking or following up with a spinning attack.
This is the best video about kicking, I have ever scene. Plus Oliver just chilling in the background watching this whole thing play out
I love throwing the sidekick and it does work if you know what your doing, but I 100% agree with Mike front kick is definitely more effective
Not really. They both have effective uses, downsides, and upsides. To say one is more effective tells me you don't know how to use one or the other
Lol you guys are nuts, please don't stop. 😂 Stoked that Jesse's joined you, and is that Oliver in the background! You guys just get better and better. 🙏 Respect.
4:59 even his subconscious is telling him he’s wrong
I love Seth and mike make this duo more frequent u guys love eachother
Front kicks? Side Kicks? Clearly you guys havent seen me throw the backwards/donkey kick, the most superior of all kicks... 😂
Also that ending was like an MCU post credits easter egg level of reveal 😱
thats my favourite too...that donkey kick,loaded as a side kick...
LOL! The debating skills on display here are awe inspiring! I had to take notes! "Front kick!", "Side kick!", "Front kick!", "Side kick!!!"... I will never lose another holiday family get together political debate. Thanks guys! ( Love your videos! )
In terms of self-defense for concealed carriers, I was thinking the Muay Thai Teep/"Front kick" would be a pretty decent tool to get someone off you, create space, and remain squared so you can defeat garment + draw and hand out freedom seeds.
Handing out freedom seeds is doing your fellow man a great service.
I just love the surprise ending. You guys are awesome.
Side kicks do take more skill to be effective, but as far as versatility IMO they are equal since they can both be thrown to the same targets moving forwards, backwards, or side to side. As far as distance you can cover with each kick, side kicks win hands down especially with a pendulum or step behind type kick. If we are talking a broad demographic with trained and untrained fighters then the front kick wins hands down, but if you narrow that demographic to only trained fighters then it could go either way depending on the individual fighters abilities.
Jesse eat the end was baller! Looking forward to more collab videos
Also, my favourite IcyMike videos are when Seth is there. I love their friendship.
That was a hilarious 8 minutes with no real swaying argument either way for me, with an epic ending. LOVED IT.
With the exception of boxing and grappling for obvious reasons every other martial art has some form of a front kick/teep. I'm going with Mike on this one. Besides side kicks don't work. Even when they do.
Edit: Seth brings up some damn good points with the side kick though. The front kick is a lot more accessible to anyone as far as simplicity goes.
This is the funniest collab you guys have done. Plus, great ending.
Agree that a front kick is more versatile, less telegraphed, easier to use in a fight.
Disagree that front kicks have more power and range than a side kick.
Overall, I use front kicks more often and rarely miss or get jammed up (delivering too close to maximize power) with them.
Totally, a good sidekick is so much more powerful, let alone a spinning sidekick !
The Thai side kick (basically halfway between a front kick and a karate side kick) actually has more range than either though, and feels more like a front kick with a little hip rotation IMO despite the name.
I love all three of these guys. At one point the go t guy didn’t get a long with Jesse but they are friends now but I love all three of their styles and their teaches and opinions. Very well put video!
Nice transition to Jesse and Oliver at the end. I gotta give it to Seth though on the side kick. Mike certainly has some valid points on the front kick, but his point related to stance is kind of a personalized one and not objective. People like Seth or Wonderboy who use more of a bladed stance would argue the side kick is equally unobtrusive to their stance.
Counter point: side kick is only unobtrusive in a single style/stance: a wide bladed karate one. For every other stance, the side kick is harder to apply in a similar manner. The front kick is more accessible to literally anyone who doesn’t/hasn’t practiced pure karate/TKD. Plus, even in a point style stance, it’s difficult to transition from a side kick to say a overhand bc of the length of the side kick. When you throw a side kick, you’re kinda committed to a long range fight.
I could take a brawler or infighter like Tyson, teach him a front kick, and he’s be able to use it without any adjustment to his style at all. Most Muay Thai style fighters religiously use front kicks like a jab. I could take a pure wrestler, teach him a front kick, and he would still be in the same stance he would be in for takedowns.
It’s easier to teach a front kick to beginners, takes less flexibility, takes less time to master, can be thrown anywhere from longest to mid range with little adjustment, can be thrown in almost every stance, is a less telegraphed movement, can be followed up with almost every strike…
@@juliansanderson839 All great points and very well put. My only argument with it would be the same one I have with Mike’s, and I suppose it’s more of a philosophical one. The comment about the front kick being less obtrusive to your fighting stance is based upon what type of stance you use. You correctly stated that it is really only in the case of a very bladed karate/TKD stance where the side kick is less disruptive. However, this makes the comment subjective, and therefore not an objective truth, which was one of the points Mike kept trying to hammer home in the video.
@@philipschinetsky I’m not trying to belittle you here, but i don’t think you know what subjective means, or at the very least aren’t using the right word.
You could claim that Mike is being subjective because he’s basing it off his own experiences and doesn’t use a side stance, that’s valid. But nothing I said was inherently subjective. A front kick can be thrown in almost every stance. A side kick only has a similar function in the wide bladed one. Theres no bias there as you don’t know what style I practice, and for all you know I’m speaking from a karate background. The front kick is a lot more effective and non-commital in most foot positions.
@@juliansanderson839 that’s exactly my point. Mike is being subjective but claiming to make a objective statement, repeatedly so. He’s making a true statement, but one that is tied to a person’s fighting style/stance, which therefore makes it subjectively true and not objectively.
While a Front Kick is faster from a static position, Side Kicks are more powerful and (I find) more natural to step into and throw at mid & longer ranges (trying to close into a front kick is kinda awkward and ends up telegraphed). Love the video & collabs with Seth & Jesse - keep up the great work!
No spoilers, but if haven't seen this video, WATCH TO THE END! Plus front kick or side kick? It depends on what I'm trying to do and my body position when I see an opening. Love them both.
I love that. You should do more videos on topics like these.
Use this as a “side kicks are better” button
Bonus points, sidekicks look cooler
Side kick after rear hook 🤌
Side kicks generate far more power in my opinion.
It also is harder to get taken down.
Also the versatility is better. Low line side kicks are also used in grappling range depending on who is throwing it.
Not taking anything away from the front kick.
Front kick is pedestrian and side kicks are king.
Side kicks are more difficult to master, so for now, front kicks will do
Yall are amazing! Can't wait to see more
How about the frontkick as a defence against a low kick. If i see low kick coming in time during sparring, i often use this it in stead of blocking with my shin.
Some Kung Fu styles deliver it to the inside of the thigh as counter to a circular kick. Very effective 👌
Beautiful setup for the ending! Can't wait to see Jesses contributions to the channel!
Side kick is objectively better:
1: More Power
2: More Range
3: Better Recovery
1. More power: The side kick has more power because it literally is a tilted over leg press, think of it as a sideways stomping attack. For lifters a leg press is the most weight the human body can move. This is why the side kick generates the more force.
2. more range: Not only do you get more range because your body is bladed you get to lean back keeping your head and torso further away from your opponent allowing you to strike safely.
3: Better Recovery: All of these points can be greatly amplified with the use of the pendulum step, but recovery is an added ability, countless times people get punched for throwing a front kick not only because their head stays in range but because they have nowhere to go while in recovery, the pendulum step allows you to get away while recovering your kick.
THANK YOU
Holy chroist, i nearly inhaled a whole cookie by laughing as the camera turned around showing your surprise guest, just lovely
I agree, it’s like the jab of the kick world 🦶💥 What do you think of the low line stomp kick btw? (To the knees outside of martial arts, or in MMA)
hittin us with that marvel ending stinger
I would say the front kick has the edge over the side kick..quicker to deliver to your opponent and you can maintain your stance.. reference Travis brownes KO over Alistair Overeem to see a good example of how useful the front kick can be
I really want to come and spend time with y'all. I am smiling the entire time, laughing when you two banter back and forth.
Now make a video on why the sidekick is objectively the worst
You guys are fun to watch and obviously knowledgeable. I will throw in my opinion with 30+ years in Kenpo and as a student of the late great Frank Trejo.
This argument is like trying to decide what is a better tool, a hammer or a screwdriver. Then, do you need a Phillips or Standard? A framing hammer or a finish hammer.
That said, the best tool you have in a fight is the one you have the most control over. If you can't get your foot high enough with a front kick, chances are you can with a side kick.
Lots of variables, but I love seeing you guys debate.
And please keep these coming. One of the biggest problems we had at the beginning days of the UFC was the end of interdisciplinary respect and fun. This took me back to the old days in North Hollywood with some guys that I would join at a gym on Burbank Blvd and geek out on who had the best move for each attack. The debates led to some of the best training I ever experienced and it was always hard to call it a night.
Front kick and the side kick are the most under used weapons in combat sports. I like both, but my preference is the side kick.
Three of my fave martial arts youtubers in one place!
So Mike is saying Wing Chun practitioners are really smart with their kicks, huh. And in self defense application even. 😌
Wing Chun does have a side kick as well I believe. Though the front kick seems to be used more often.
@@combatsportlover6919 Depends on the school I guess. In the system I train, we don't have a side kick, and I would never teach anyone a side kick for self defense.
Ohhh the first of the collabs is out!!! Christmas came early!!
Joe Rogan's side kick is better, sorry guys 🤷♂️😁
What a reunion!! Awesome ending... Greetings 🇨🇺
Great surprise ending! Loved it!
Love your content brother! I also love arguing with you in the comments from time to time 😄 much love!
I love how oliver is always just chill in jesses vids.
THE MOST objective and scientific martial arts analysis on the internet!!!!!! Love these goofballs🤣
It was really a flawless study.
Enjoyed that guys. The ending was great!
I like both kicks
Holy F-ing Sh*t! That twist in the end got me off-guard! Love it!
Kin geri for the win. You're totally right Mike.
Jeeeesseeeeeeee! Damn this is going to be awesome.
Or a DQ if you play by unified rules. 🤣
so much fun to watch yall debating 🤣🤣
Man that was a super enjoyable video and then the ending just... Perfection. So excited to see where this collab goes!
Watched all the ads Coach 🥶 Icy. Staying on point being a “good YT user”
EDIT: I’ve also heard “thrust” or “front thrust kick” used
Ooohhhh shoot! The Karate Nerd is in the building!! Best Collab since Icy Mike and Sensei Seth part 1
I agree. It’s the most useful and versatile. Because it has so many variations and applications. Plus, it can be done from a proper fighting stance and follow up with a round house , or side kick. The shoulders don’t need to move to apply power and can be done at any level: Ankles to head.
Thanks coach!💪🏾💯 watching from Philippines
Mostly agree.
Front kick is the obvious go-to;
sidekick makes sense if you have ended up side-on (say after throwing a round kick)
or are attacked from the side.
But sidekick also has the advantage of slipping under a guard, while protecting the small bones of the foot if it gets blocked,
and the shin.
it's precisely for all of those merits i think the front kick appears in classical martial arts the most often, especially done below the waist. next to that are side kicks directed to the knees or knee kicks.
thanks for bringing this up!
Awesome video! Great ending! So happy that the community is getting together! Imagine all the cool. Knowledge that will be shared and learned through these exchanges!
Ooooh that stinger at the end! That was awesome!
Side kick every day of the week. More power from the hips. Love it. It works.
Front kicks are better, jons, gsp, silva, all specialized in front kicks
I agree, the front kick is a more natural body movement which sets up the hands very well. Emin Botztepe, Wing Tsun, has quick powerful front kicks which brings him into his opponents space. I once knocked out a competitor in a karate tournament with a lead leg side kick to the chest. I never knocked out an opponent with a front kick, but have ended a contest with a good front kick to the abdomen. I’m a Goju man, and I like that the Goju katas uses both front and low side kicks with an emphasis a little more on the front kick. Both kicks a great and definitely should be practiced equally. Good discussion fellas!
Wow! Your cosplay of the Karate Nerd is at a whole new level. Check it out!