video 2 Flying Sidekick
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Standard Flying Side Kick·US Taekwondo Center - World Headquarters·Added by Admin
Standard Flying Side Kick
Genus飛び横蹴り（基本型）(Tobi Yoko-geri (Kihon-gata))
TraditionalTranslation: standard flying side kick
Overview
The Standard Flying Side Kick is executed by running or stepping forward, leaping off the lead foot, chambering the kicking leg in flight, and thrusting the heel or blade of the foot laterally into the target at the apex of the jump. [1] The non-kicking leg tucks underneath the body during flight to maximise height and streamline the airborne position. [1],[2] This technique is the most commonly practised flying kick in taekwondo schools worldwide and is a standard requirement for black belt testing in many organisations. [2],[3]
History & Origin
The standard flying side kick is one of taekwondo's most recognisable techniques, featured in virtually every demonstration and promotional material for the art. [1] It has been a competition and belt-testing requirement in the World Taekwondo (WT) and International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) systems since the 1960s. [2],[3]
Effectiveness
Standard flying side kick. [1]
Lineage
From TKD/karate. [1]
Competition Record
Used in competition. [1]
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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
Variants
Standard side kick — driving the heel or blade of the foot laterally with hip rotation
Checking side kick — low side kick targeting the knee to stop the opponent's advance
Spinning side kick — adding a spin for extra rotational power
Step-through side kick — stepping through for deeper penetration
Videos
1 video
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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
✓From stance, take a quick step with the lead foot, then leap off it while driving the rear knee upward
✓At the peak of the jump, turn sideways and thrust the kicking heel toward the target
✓The hip drives through the kick — even in the air, the hip extension is the primary power source
✓At full extension, the body forms a line from the upper back through the hip to the heel, angled slightly downward
✓Land on the non-kicking foot and immediately reset to fighting stance
✓Practise the leap and hip extension separately before combining them
✓On the heavy bag, the standard flying side kick should push the bag significantly more than a ground-based side kick
Common Mistakes
!Not committing to the sideways body position in the air — half-turning produces a weak, angled kick
!Extending the kick too early and being fully extended before reaching the target
!Landing on the kicking foot first, which is unstable and prevents follow-up
!Taking too many preparatory steps and telegraphing the jump
!Not driving the hip through on impact — in the air, it is easy to rely on the leg only
!Jumping from a standstill without forward momentum
!Practising only in the air without hitting targets — the feeling of impact while airborne must be trained
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] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966) [2] Kukkiwon Taekwondo Textbook (Kukkiwon, 2006) [3] Best Karate Vol. 5 (Nakayama, 1979)
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] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966) [2] Kukkiwon Taekwondo Textbook (Kukkiwon, 2006) [3] Best Karate Vol. 5 (Nakayama, 1979)
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
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Standard Flying Side Kick work?
The Standard Flying Side Kick is executed by running or stepping forward, leaping off the lead foot, chambering the kicking leg in flight, and thrusting the heel or blade of the foot laterally into the target at the apex of the jump. The non-kicking leg tucks underneath the body during flight to maximise height and streamline the airborne position.
Where does the Standard Flying Side Kick come from?
The standard flying side kick is one of taekwondo's most recognisable techniques, featured in virtually every demonstration and promotional material for the art. It has been a competition and belt-testing requirement in the World Taekwondo (WT) and International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) systems since the 1960s.
Is the Standard 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 Standard 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 Standard Flying Side Kick?
The standard setup chain: Stance and Range → Chamber the Leg → Execute the Kick → Recover.
How do I defend against the Standard 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 Standard 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 Standard Flying Side Kick in competition?
Used in competition.
What are common mistakes when doing the Standard Flying Side Kick?
Top errors to watch for: Not committing to the sideways body position in the air — half-turning produces a weak, angled kick / Extending the kick too early and being fully extended before reaching the target / Landing on the kicking foot first, which is unstable and prevents follow-up / Taking too many preparatory steps and telegraphing the jump.
What are other names for the Standard Flying Side Kick?
The Standard Flying Side Kick is also known as Tobi Yoko-geri (Kihon-gata), Standard Tobi Yoko Geri, Standard Twi-eo Yop Chagi, Jumping Thrust Kick.