Side kick with heel or edge of foot?

[ashley]

I am just wondering, when carrying out a sidekick in Taekwondo, do you normally aim at the target with the heel of your foot, or with the edge of the side of your foot.

I have a bit of a debate about this with a mate of mine, as I use the heel of the foot because more power can be generated through it.

I guess there are pros and cons of both, so just would like to here other peoples views on this.

[Ken Hewson]

The side kick is the most powerful kick in martial arts, so it's very important to know how to perform it corrrectly.

The answer to your question is: it depends, you can use either for different situations.

Use the heel if you are trying to generate more force, use the blade of the foot for accuracy, eg when board breaking.

Our students actually train using the blade of the foot rather than the heel, to target when performing the sidekick.

Hope that helps.

[RobT]

oh definately with the edge of the foot.

We do board breaking and we are always taught to use the edge of the foot.

I guess this does depend on what you are kaiming at though, you really dont want to injure your calcaneus bone, it will never be right again if you do.

[Escuela Fraternidad de Taekwondo]

Let's check the third Newton's law:
"The mutual forces of action and reaction between two bodies are equal, opposite and collinear. This means that whenever a first body exerts a force F on a second body, the second body exerts a force −F on the first body. F and −F are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. This law is sometimes referred to as the action-reaction law, with F called the "action" and −F the "reaction".

The force of a kick generates a reaction that is transmitted from the heel, to the knee, to the hip and up to the foot in the floor. Considering this, I will prefer to align the force with my heel.

The other consideration is the pressure (Force on surface). The more reduced surface the more pressure. So, I would preferred to use the edge of the foot.

In terms of biomechanics, when your toes are pointing to you (hitting with the knee) you have more chances that the supporting leg - hips -knees and heel are well aligned and extended. My choice: heel.

[cris donovan]

it depends on my target.
central mass than normally my heel.
vertical lineal target (throat, side of knee etc) than normally the horizontal blade... but these aren't rules as i will (in training) always use that which the Master tells me.
:-D
cris

[Josh Edwards]

Hi ashley,
Your mate is right more power is created by hitting the target with the heel of the foot. But in a self defence situation I struggle to see how hitting someone with the heel is as practical as hitting someone with the edge of the foot. I personally always try to connect with the edge of the foot.

[Seiken]

Hi ashley,
Your mate is right more power is created by hitting the target with the heel of the foot. But in a self defence situation I struggle to see how hitting someone with the heel is as practical as hitting someone with the edge of the foot. I personally always try to connect with the edge of the foot.

I would think heel would be easier depending on what type of feetwear you have on.

I kick both ways, because even with side of foot you can use bony heel for side kick and get same power. It seems to me to have more penetraton that way.

[mattherd]

wow been a while

personally i have bad technique so i avoid using the edge of my foot and strike with the ball of my foot instead...slightly longer reach and still does decent damage

[BatemanTKD]

Dear Readers,

Taking into account the anatomy of the human body and coupling that with definitive scientific principles, I would conclude that the answer is a combination of both...please allow me to explain.

Newton's laws of relativity define an equal and opposite reaction for every action, so you will not only deliver force when executing a striking technique, but you will also receive force as well.

We also know that the more concentrated force is, the greater penetration it will have and additionally the more damage it will cause.

That being said, the "foot sword" or the outer edge of the heel is the most optimal point for impact. It provides the alignment of the shoulder, hip, knee, and heel while concentrating the force on an area smaller than the entire base of the heel itself.

Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts, and I hope you find my response useful!

TAE-KWON!
Sabum Bateman

[ashley]

Some good answers and thoughts in this discussion, thanks everyone.

The Newtons law of actio-reaction does come into play, and well all feel it, even if we don't think about the theory behind it.

It seems like the general consensus is that the heel or edge of the foot can be used in different situations, depending on what you are striking to reduce the risk of injury to yourself. I would imagine the calcaneus could be fractured if kicks with the heel are not executed properly. That's where 'iron foot' training could come in...