Tim -
Would you please explain what kind of situation warrants a kicking technique over a hand technique or how to meld the two?

I would say, in general, that kicks are used to either to bring the opponent's attention downward while you attack high, or to follow up a striking technique while your opponent is thinking high (you would kick low). Low kicks can also be useful in a hands up fight to distract and confuse (or hurt) an opponent who has good hand skills, and is evasive in general. Kicks can also be used to test the distance between you and your opponent. We rarely if ever throw kicks in a sequence without the combination of hand techniques.
Some guidlines for kicking techniques we follow are: Never kick from a distance without first distracting the opponent with a hand attack, preferably controlling one of his arms so he cannot either enter as you kick, or catch your kick. The exception to this is if you have such a superior angle that the opponent cannot see your kick coming (for example, the opponent flinches and turns his head away, or turns his back to you). Hand and foot techniques are almost always used in combination. Kicks are generally kept low (hips and below).
In the Shen Wu system, we primarily use three kicks, a whipping front kick, a front thrust kick , and a round kick to the leg. We don't practice jumping or spinning kicks. As much as possible, the hips are kept level during kicking (facilitated by keeping the kicks low). Knee strikes are also used during in fighting.
What kind of kicks did you learn in the Shaolin Temple?

Tim,

What do you think of the side kick? I know bruce lee could really throw it fast and hard. He loved it for when the opponent was trying to close the gap if there was a hole in defense. (I'm talking about hitting the stomach and not the head with it)

I know the side kick is the most powerful kick in MA when done right. Do IMA teach the side kick or is it more an External Martial arts technique?

I thought the round-house kick (Thai boxing style) was the most powerful kick.

Shane

Mont,
Side kicks are certainly very powerful. Most variations on IMA have versions of low side kicks.

And Shane is right, the Thai-style round house kick is the strongest blow.

I always make the comparison; side kicks are like poking someone with a baseball bat- sure, it might hurt and you might knock them down.

round-house kicks are like swinging a baseball bat- you get a lot more momentum and power and whomever it hits is going to hurt BAD.

You mention Bruce Lee frequently- shouldn't you be more impressed with the Dim Mach ninja who killed him with a light touch? That guy never ran- never even had to kick anybody- just a touch and bye-bye sucka.

Bob#2

I have to respectfully disagree with you guys about the Thai-Style roundhouse kick being the most powerful in MA. I have read numerous places that the side kick is more powerful than any other kick. I know that a tremendous amount of power can be generated through proper hip rotation and such in the Thai-roundhouse but this doesn't come close to the power that a side kick can generate.

However, most people simply perform side kicks wrong. I've read that most people simply lean back and throw the side kick. You have to apply your body weight to it when hits to go strait through the target. Also, the muscles used to generate roundhouse power are the abbs, hip flexors and quadricepts. The muscles used to generate side kick power are the quadricepts and gluteals. Um... The same muscles used when performing a squat. The two strongest muscles in the human body. These muscles, when trained properly can contract *very* fast. Just think how explosive a 100m sprinter is with his thighs and gluteals.

Also, the side kick can have a nice little skipping step added to close the gap between opponents very quickly. Also, the side kick has more than 4 inches more range than a thai-roundhouse.

I'm not saying roundhouse kicks are bad. I love them, I'm just saying that the side kick has more power because of the the much stronger muscles used to throw it and that the entire body weight it behind it. I'v never heard anyone say that the Thai-roundhouse kick is the most powerful. One web site I saw said the front kick is the most powerful kick

Tim,

Could you show me a web site or something that disproves my idea? I'm sure your roundhouse kick is more powerful than my side kick but give me another 10-15 years of martial training and well...

Bob,

Where do you get your unusual information on ninjas? Did you watch a lot of Teenage Ninja Turtles when you were a kid? Or maybe you just watched a lot of StarTrek and were a fan of Spock's Vulcan Death Grip :p

the kid has some points
in sparring , have you ever tried to land both of these styles of kicks?
I think that they are both very powerful, but the side kick is much easier to place and land higher up. I don't think that I would try to do a roundhouse to the head on an aware opponent. However, I might try a side kick. It's harder to block, it is very powerful, and it comes almost as an uppercut does. If they were equal in power ( and I think that they pretty much are) I would have to favor the sidekick b/c of the ease of application. I would bash the heck out of someone's leg with low roundhouses thought, that is for sure.

Mont,

I was older than your mother when Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hit the screen (that was just a dumb movie). Everyone knows Bruce Lee was real and died from a 'death touch'.

I was never a fan of Star Trek. Captn Kirk was a puss.

Bob#2