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The side kick is the most powerful weapon of Jeet Kune Do. This is because of the way the power for the kick is generated and the range of it's attack. The side kick can be used as an aggressive defensive move or offensive move. The kick must be fast and powerful, and like the punches, must move through the target-- passing the initial point of impact. The kick should be practiced on a heavy bag or other types of sheilding, for practicing the kick on the air is bad for the knee joint due to the pure force behind it. Be extremely carefull when practicing this kick during sparring.. it can easily break ribs, that's what it was designed for.
--"Sifu" Bevan Bell

If you've ever seen a Bruce Lee movie, you've seen the jkd sidekick. The kick is one in which he seems to skip into the kick and the opponent goes flying back.. and I do mean flying. I used to practice with a friend at a place of work. We were loading wrapped up tarps, and I told him to square up and really get ready for the kick. I executed the side kick and knocked him 2 feet up and 6 feet back into a pile of tarps that proceeded to fall ontop of him while he gasped for breath.

1. To execute the kick stand in your basic JKD ready stance. (The kick can be used from the on-guard position or with the endless varieties of footwork due to the skip needed to generate power).
   
2. At the right point (for attack or defense), your rear leg will step behind the front leg transfering all of your weight to the front leg.
   
3. Set the rear leg down and kick with your front leg.
   
4. The step or kick will give you the momentum that brings the sheer power to the blow.
   
5. The strike can usually be masked by a finger jab, backfist, etc. (throw a fake strike up in the opponents face during the "skip" and they'll never see it coming).
   
6. The leg should snap back quickly to avoid being captured had you missed the target or the opponent parries.
   

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