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This is an extention of my other question: How to set up a sliding/hopping power sidekick?

Why can't I throw sidekicks with my left leg? Is that normal for all orthodox fighters? How can I improve my left sidekick?

I am an orthodox fighter. A huge problem is I can't throw a sidekick, or a turning/spinning back/side kick with my left (front) leg. It feels weak and it doesn't come naturally in a fight. I can throw strong ones with my right leg (back leg). I get off-balanced when I try sidekicks with my left leg. I talk about how Scott Adkins is throwing the sidekicks (in the videos) with his left leg in my other question.

When I want to do a sidekick, I have to actually turn around 120 degrees (i.e., I have to bring my right leg - the back leg - forward to throw the sidekicks). My opponents see that (the stance change from A to B) and move away.

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To throw the sidekick, I have to go from orthodox stance (A) to a Southpaw stance (B) to be able to throw the kick with my right leg.

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RoundHouse
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1 Answers1

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Hopefully, I'm not misunderstanding what technique you're trying to throw. Based on your other question, you want to be able to throw a sidekick off of your front leg, possibly first involving a slide or a hop off your back leg. Based on your description of having to turn 120 degrees, I suspect that you're chambering the kick sideways.

Take a look at this video of a sidekick as a "teep". Notice that, entering into it, you have the same chamber as a front kick, with the knee raised. It's in the kicking that you're turning it over into a side-kick. Learn to keep your balance from a standing position first, practicing against a heavy bag, and then add the additional instability to trying to skip into it.

Macaco Branco
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  • 120 degrees is because I am having to change my stance from orthodox to southpaw to bring my right leg forward to throw a side kick. – RoundHouse Dec 16 '19 at 17:47
  • @Roundhouse: Part of why I wasn't certain if I understood correctly. You want to throw a front-leg sidekick, but you're preparing by putting that leg in the back? Why not throw the front-leg sidekick with the left foot that's in front? :) – Macaco Branco Dec 16 '19 at 17:50
  • That's my problem. I can't throw a good strong well-balanced side kick with my left leg. I can with my right leg, but my right leg is the back leg. So to throw a sidekick, I am having to switch stance everytime to bring my right leg front. – RoundHouse Dec 16 '19 at 18:02
  • Ah. Can you describe how you're unbalancing? Is it on impact? Are you being pushed backwards? Sideways? Feeling your ankle wobble? Difficulty targeting? – Macaco Branco Dec 16 '19 at 18:14
  • I added a badly drawn picture to show the change in stance (ignore the foot angles). Well, I have no accuracy with my left sidekick. When I put a bit of power into it, I get off-balanced because I can't hit my target on the right spot. My sidekick with my right leg is well-balanced. I can always throw it with power without missing the target. When I think of throwing a left sidekick both my legs start shaking. I don't know why. – RoundHouse Dec 16 '19 at 19:22
  • At the risk of getting into a lengthy conversation on this, if you stand south-paw, can you do a front-leg side kick on your right without getting wobbly? How about a back-leg on the left? – Macaco Branco Dec 16 '19 at 19:24
  • Yes. When I throw it with my right leg it's fine - no problem at all. But to do that I have to go southpaw, which is a big give away. I am an orthodox fighter. – RoundHouse Dec 16 '19 at 19:28
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    I've been thinking over this one, and honestly, I can't really think of much advice other than that it sounds like you just need to practice this against a static target like a heavy bag until you're not losing your balance when doing so. The odds are that you either just generally have some instability with your balancing leg, or that something in how you're throwing the kick is throwing you off. But either way, there's not a lot that can be done to fix it without being there to see that won't just be fixed with practice. – Macaco Branco Dec 26 '19 at 19:59
  • By the by, did you ever get a chance to practice against a stationary bag? – Macaco Branco May 30 '20 at 19:05