Flying Side Kick
0
Flying Side Kick·Beyond Taekwondo
This Flying Side Kick Tutorial Breaks down each step to help increase power, flow and accuracy.
Flying Side Kick
SubFamily飛び横蹴り(Tobi Yoko-geri)
TraditionalTranslation: flying side kick
Overview
The Flying Side Kick subfamily covers side kicks delivered while the attacker is airborne, involving a leap followed by a lateral thrusting kick that drives the heel or blade of the foot into the target. [1] The flying side kick is perhaps the most iconic aerial technique in martial arts, frequently used in board-breaking demonstrations, and it combines the linear power of the side kick with the momentum of a full-body leap. [1],[2] The technique can cover impressive distance — up to two metres or more in elite practitioners — making it useful for closing the gap against a retreating opponent. [2],[3]
History & Origin
The flying side kick is most closely associated with taekwondo, where twi-myo yeop chagi is a staple demonstration and testing technique required for belt promotions. [1] The technique also appears in karate (tobi yoko geri) and Chinese martial arts, and was popularised in Western culture through martial arts films featuring Bruce Lee and other action stars. [2],[3]
Effectiveness
The flying side kick thrusts the foot sideways while airborne. [1]
Lineage
From TKD and karate. [1]
Competition Record
Used in TKD and MMA. [1]
Images
No images yet for this technique.
Sign in to suggest an image.
Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Ballistic leg extension or rotation — the shin or foot impacts the target at high velocity
Joints Involved — Hip (flexion/rotation), knee (extension for front kicks, flexion-extension for roundhouse), ankle (stabilised)
Force Vector — Linear (front kick/teep — hip flexion and knee extension) or rotational (roundhouse — hip rotation with shin contact)
Kinetic Chain — Pivot foot rotation → hip turn → femur whip → shin contact — the leg acts as a heavy bat with the hip as the pivot
Position & Entry
From fighting stance — Chamber the knee high, rotate hips sideways, drive the heel or blade of the foot laterally into the target
As checking side kick (to knee) — Low side kick targeting the opponent's lead knee to prevent their advance
From rear leg (power) — Cross-step and chamber, drive through with full hip rotation for maximum penetration
Videos
Flying Side Kick
0
Flying Side Kick·Angel Ochoa
The Flying side kick is a classic martial arts kick commonly demonstrated when breaking boards. I recommend mastering a …
2 videos
Learn This Technique
No instructional courses yet for this technique.
Sign in to suggest a course.
Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
7
Very High7/10
Airborne kicks maximize momentum; high injury risk to both fighters
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Expert
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Illegal
WBC/Boxing — All kicks prohibited in boxing {src— WBC Rules of Boxing}
Legal
— Unified MMA — Legal striking technique
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDFKyokushin — Legal at full power to body and head {src— IKO Kyokushin Tournament Rules}
— WT — Legal, body kick 2 points, head kick 3 points, spinn...
WT Competition Rules 2024PDF— WAKO — Legal in Full Contact and Low Kick formats
WAKO Competition RulesPDFK-1/GLORY — Legal {src— K-1/GLORY Kickboxing Rules}
— IFMA — Legal — kicks are a core Muay Thai technique
IFMA Muay Thai RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓Leap forward and deliver a side kick while airborne, driving the heel into the target at the peak of the jump
✓The flying side kick is the most powerful flying kick because it combines forward momentum with the linear thrust of the side kick
✓Drive off the rear foot, lift the lead knee for height, then fire the side kick with full hip extension
✓Turn the body sideways in the air — at the moment of impact, the body should be in the same position as a ground-based side kick
✓Bruce Lee's flying side kick is iconic — he famously sent opponents flying backward with the technique in films and demonstrations
✓Target the midsection or chest — the thrust works best against a large, stable surface
✓The heel must be the primary contact point for maximum force concentration
Common Mistakes
!Not turning the body sideways in the air — if you stay facing forward, the kick becomes a jumping front kick
!Jumping too high instead of driving forward — the power is in horizontal momentum
!Not extending the hip at the moment of impact, reducing the thrust to a leg push
!Landing flat on both feet from the height of the jump, which jars the spine and knees
!Kicking before reaching the peak of the jump, wasting the forward momentum
!Leaning too far forward during the kick, leading to a face-first landing if the kick misses
!Attempting the flying side kick without mastering the ground-based side kick first — the aerial version amplifies all existing technical errors
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1Stance and Range — verify correct distance for the kick to land at full extension
2Chamber the Leg — lift the knee to prepare the kicking trajectory
3Execute the Kick — extend the leg through the target with the appropriate striking surface
4Recover — retract the leg and return to fighting stance
Sources & References
Primary Source
Karate-Do Kyohan: The Master Text (Gichin Funakoshi, 1935)
1BookMuay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus, 2002)
Alias sources — [1] Kukkiwon Taekwondo Textbook (Kukkiwon, 2006) [2] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966) [3] Taekwondo: The State of the Art (Park, 1989)
2BookKarate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts (Draeger & Smith, 1969)
Official karate technique names (和語/漢語)
4OtherJapanese Martial Arts Standard Terminology (武道用語)
Established Japanese martial arts naming convention — native Japanese term (和語/漢語)
5CitationMuay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus, 2002)
Alias sources — [1] Kukkiwon Taekwondo Textbook (Kukkiwon, 2006) [2] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966) [3] Taekwondo: The State of the Art (Park, 1989)
6CitationKarate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts (Draeger & Smith, 1969)
Community
Athletics
Requires
hip abduction power, lateral hip flexibility, single-leg balance
Favours
flexible hips for high side kicks
Key muscles
gluteus medius, hip abductors, quadriceps, core
Sub-techniques
Frequently Asked Questions
What skills do I need to master before attempting a flying side kick?
You need a really good standard sidekick and a strong step-behind sidekick as precursors, because if those kicks aren't solid, you'll struggle with the flying side kick and get frustrated.
How many steps do I need to build momentum for a flying side kick?
You can get everything you need from a two-step approach, which also allows you to practice with control rather than running all out.
What's the most common timing mistake people make with the flying side kick?
Many practitioners extend the kick and then pull the bottom leg up, or pull the leg up and put it down as they're extending the kick, meaning they're already on the ground by the time they kick. Instead, you want your bottom leg tucked at the exact same time your extended leg fires.
How is a flying side kick different from a regular side kick?
Angel Ochoa explains that you combine a regular back-leg sidekick with the airborne rotation of a jumping sidekick—the hips turn to direct the kick just like a standard sidekick, but you execute it while airborne and turn in the air like a jumping sidekick.
How does the Flying Side Kick work?
The Flying Side Kick subfamily covers side kicks delivered while the attacker is airborne, involving a leap followed by a lateral thrusting kick that drives the heel or blade of the foot into the target. The flying side kick is perhaps the most iconic aerial technique in martial arts, frequently used in board-breaking demonstrations, and it combines the linear power of the side kick with the momentum of a full-body leap.
Where does the Flying Side Kick come from?
The flying side kick is most closely associated with taekwondo, where twi-myo yeop chagi is a staple demonstration and testing technique required for belt promotions. The technique also appears in karate (tobi yoko geri) and Chinese martial arts, and was popularised in Western culture through martial arts films featuring Bruce Lee and other action stars.
Is the Flying Side Kick legal in competition?
Unified MMA: legal — Legal striking technique; WBC/Boxing: banned — All kicks prohibited in boxing; WKF: legal — Legal, chudan (body) kick scores 2 points, jodan (head) kick scores 3 points; Kyokushin: legal — Legal at full power to body and head; WT: legal — Legal, body kick 2 points, head kick 3 points, spinning body 4 points, spinni…; WAKO: legal — Legal in Full Contact and Low Kick formats; K: legal — 1/GLORY — Legal; IFMA: legal — Legal — kicks are a core Muay Thai technique
How dangerous is the Flying Side Kick?
Danger rating 7/10. Very High — airborne kicks maximize momentum; high injury risk to both fighters
How do I set up the Flying Side Kick?
The standard setup chain: Stance and Range → Chamber the Leg → Execute the Kick → Recover.
How do I defend against the Flying Side Kick?
Standard counters include: Check (Shin Block) — raise the shin to intercept the kick before it lands / Catch and Sweep — catch the kicking leg and sweep the standing leg / Step Inside — close distance inside the kick's effective range to smother it.
What are the variants of the Flying Side Kick?
Common variants: Standard side kick (driving the heel or blade of the foot laterally with hip …); Checking side kick (low side kick targeting the knee to stop the opponent's a…); Spinning side kick (adding a spin for extra rotational power); Step-through side kick (stepping through for deeper penetration).
How effective is the Flying Side Kick in competition?
Used in TKD and MMA.
What are common mistakes when doing the Flying Side Kick?
Top errors to watch for: Not turning the body sideways in the air — if you stay facing forward, the kick becomes a jumping front kick / Jumping too high instead of driving forward — the power is in horizontal momentum / Not extending the hip at the moment of impact, reducing the thrust to a leg push / Landing flat on both feet from the height of the jump, which jars the spine and knees.
What are other names for the Flying Side Kick?
The Flying Side Kick is also known as Tobi Yoko-geri, Twi-eo Yop Chagi, Tobi Yoko Geri, Jumping Side Kick.