Side Kick Playbook
Mat Manual companion guide to "The Side Kick: Yeop Chagi." Print it. The article explains the thrusting side kick as the art's straight line, its two settings in poomsae and sparring, and the faults that thin it out. Th…
| Art | Taekwondo |
|---|---|
| Family | Korean Arts |
| Level | beginner |
| Format | playbook |
| Topics | kicks, sparring, training-plans |
Mat Manual companion guide to "The Side Kick: Yeop Chagi." Print it. The article explains the thrusting side kick as the art's straight line, its two settings in poomsae and sparring, and the faults that thin it out. This book builds it: frozen standards for the chamber, hip turn, pivot, and blade edge, paddle and shield progressions, entry cards, miss recovery to guard, and a four-week block that fits inside normal classes.
Name: ______________________________ Dojo: ______________________________ Current grade: ______________ Lead leg (left / right: train both): ______________
BEFORE ANYTHING: SCOPE AND SAFETY ☐ Contact is agreed before every set. The holder sets the level, the kicker stays inside it, and either partner stops any rep with one word. ☐ The standing-leg pivot is a pass/fail safety standard. A kick thrown without the pivot twists the standing knee. If the pivot will not happen at a given speed, the speed comes down until it does. ☐ The blade edge must be set before power work. Contact on a flat or soft foot at full power risks the ankle. Flat contact fails the rep, whatever the paddle sounded like. ☐ Sharp pain in the standing knee, hip, or kicking ankle ends kicking work for the day. Muscle effort is training; joint pain is information. Report it to your instructor. ☐ The mechanics standard here is the common taekwondo teaching. Your instructor's version governs in your school; note variations in Part 1 and train the version you will be graded on.
Part 1: The Side Kick Card
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | Yeop chagi (side kick): the thrusting kick on a straight line |
| Contact | Foot sword: the blade edge of the foot, heel leading the line |
| Engine | Chamber across the body, then hip turn and leg drive together |
| Standing leg | Foot pivots so the heel points roughly toward the target as the kick extends |
| Settings | Poomsae setting: full shape, held extension. Sparring setting: short chamber, trunk target, fast recoil |
| Scoring note | A valid kick to the trunk protector scores two points under WT rules |
| Best moment | Into a forward rush, as a stop-hit, and off movement that hides the chamber |
| Your school's variations | Chamber height: ______________ Target height in poomsae: ______________ Guard position: ______________ |
Write the variations down before the first session. Students lose weeks training a kick their examiner does not teach. Every standard that follows traces back to one row here.
Train both legs in equal dose in every part. A side kick that only exists on the strong leg is a demonstration. Opponents choose which side they rush, and examiners ask for the leg the student would rather hide.
Side Kick Playbook
Mat Manual companion guide to "The Side Kick: Yeop Chagi." Print it. The article explains the thrusting side kick as the art's straight line, its two settings in poomsae and sparring, and the faults that thin it out. This book builds it: frozen standards for the chamber, hip turn, pivot, and blade edge, paddle and shield progressions, entry cards, miss recovery to guard, and a four-week block that fits inside normal classes.
What's Inside
- Part 1: The Side Kick Card
- Part 2: The Chamber Standard
- Part 3: Hip Turn and Extension Standards
- Part 4: Standing-Leg Pivot and Foot Sword Standards
- Part 5: Wall and Floor-Line Checks
- Part 6: Solo Shadow Standards
- …and 22 more sections
The full guide is a paid Mat Manual product. Checkout is not connected yet — no payment is taken on this page.
Free companion article: The Side Kick: Yeop Chagi — the full article, free in full.
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