Nerd at work - Yoko Geri

Coming up to the next grading for my Dojo, I know one of the weakest test elements for me is my Yoko Geri.  In my first grading, being able to perform a side kick was the most important thing.  Now the style in which it is done has become more important.

Because I can only comfortably kick low, my inclination is to "stomp" or push with the heel.  Formally, my style requires a flick kick with the side of the foot, and I have been struggling to get any kind of mastery over that.  

This set me to thinking about what other people's takes were on this, so I posted this question in a couple of Facebook forums: A question if I may? Yoko geri is considered to be a fundamental kick I believe, however I am told it has many forms which can all be considered to be correct in the proper context. My style of Karate currently describes it as a flicking kick, hitting the target with the outside edge of the foot, but am aware that hitting with whole of the foot (push kick) was once acceptable. What are other people's thoughts / experiences?

The first thing that come back is that indeed there are two basic types, the flick hitting with the side and the push, but that should be hit more with the heel than the whole of the foot.   My favoured variant, the stomping low kick, was considered to be one of the most effective variants.   However, there is a rich and varied range of interpretations of the kick.  Some styles limit themselves solely to one form (eg. Shinkyokushin  - side of foot), whilst in Tang Soo Do,  (Korean style of Karate) there are thrusting, snapping, pushing and stomping versions of the kick, using the knife edge, the heel, the whole flat of the foot, and the ball of the foot.

Generally though all versions of the kick fall into the snapping or thrusting / stomping varieties.  The snap kick or Keage Yoko Geri,  seems to be considered the swifter kick to deliver, hitting with the side of the foot.  Specific targets suggested for this seem to be to softer targets such as the leg, vital organs, stomach or floating ribs.

Yoko Geri 

The thrusting / stomping kick or Kekomi Yoko Geri seems to be considered the more power kick to deliver, hitting with the underside of the heel.  Specific targets suggested for this seem to be harder targets such as joints (eg, knee, ankle) or bones (leg or ribs)

A number of videos were given as examples which are also presented below:

Shotokan side kicks

Yoko Geri Keage

Yoko Geri as a throw

Yoko Geri using knee lift to disrupt

The last two show applications which go beyond that of a kick, using the leg as part of a throw, or the knee lift to disrupt (e.g. Hisa Geri followed by stomping Yoko Geri Kakato.

Many thanks to all who contributed, but particularly to Les Bubka for two of the videos, John Rees and Andrew Perpich for the other two, along with my Sensei Ben D. J Snear, for putting up with me.