Having to kick down a door so that you can save the people behind it is not a situation you find yourself in often. But when the time comes you should know how to do it right. You will not be able to help anyone if you get hurt or exhausted yourself. Read on to learn how to successfully kick in a door right away.
method
Method 1 of 3: Weigh the door correctly
Step 1. Try to figure out which way it will open
If it opens inwards, i.e. towards the inside of the building, you are in luck; chances are you can kick them. If it usually opens up to the outside world, don't waste your time in the first place. You will not be able to enter it and you may even break your foot trying.
- On houses or apartments, the doors usually open inwards. Doors that open to the outside are mostly found on commercial buildings.
- If you suspect the door is swinging outward, it may be easier to remove the hinges to get inside. However, most hinges on commercial doors have anti-theft hinge pins that cannot be removed.
Step 2. Look carefully at the door and the frame material
Some doors are poorly made, while others are very tough. So take a look at what the door and frame are made of. The material says a lot about how much force it will take to kick the door down.
- Honeycomb doors, doors made of hollow wood, or doors made of another material that is not stable, can usually be found inside an apartment. Most of these doors have no security measures or insulation and little force is needed to kick them in.
- More solid doors are made of chipped and planed wood; with frames containing laminate on both sides. You need a little more strength here.
- Very solid wooden doors are made of hardwood and on average you need a lot of force to enter them.
- Doors with metal coating are made of soft wood that is covered with a thin layer of metal. A little more than the average effort is required here.
- Hollow metal doors are much heavier than other doors. They also have reinforcing channels around the edges and lock mounting; some are even additionally insulated. Here you have to use the maximum force to kick such a door and it probably won't be possible at all.
Step 3. Try to find out which part of the door is the weakest
Every door has a weak point depending on how it was made. Examine the door very carefully to find out which part was made of the weakest material. A brave kick will simply break the weakest part of the door; mostly it is the frame, the bolt, or the lock.
- Is it the framework? If the frame is made of light wood, it may be the weakest part. Even if there is a heavy lock, you should be able to kick in a door with a weak frame.
- Is it the bolt or the lock? Heavy doors are the weakest on the latch. The part of the door that snaps into the frame. Other weak points can also be located directly above or below the lock.
Method 2 of 3: Kick the door down
Step 1. Focus on the area just below the doorknob
This is where you will start kicking in order to generate the maximum pressure. Take a deep breath or two and prepare for the thrust.
Step 2. Get in position
Stand on your side with the stronger leg close to the door; just a few steps away. You should be close enough that your foot can hit the door with good force without effort.
Step 3. Lift your leg and kick
With your stronger leg, take a side kick, just below the doorknob. As you kick, your weight should be lightly on the front of your back leg so that your body has a little swing against the door. When you kick, it will feel a little like you are 'falling in' the door. Don't lean away from the step, but keep your body upright as much as possible.
- It is recommended to hit with the sole or heel, not the sides. Since you are trying to use all the kinetic energy and not just want to leave a small damage, you can use this technique to improve the area around the serve. You also prevent foot injuries.
- It is also important to keep your standing leg (the leg you are standing on during the step) firmly on the ground in order to put as much force as possible into your step. Imagine pushing the power from that heel forward.
Step 4. Estimate whether the door will give way
If you have the feeling that the door has moved back a little with the first kick, take a second kick at exactly the same place. Most doors need some good and firm kicks before they give way and break. Sooner or later, the door frame should give way and you can kick the rest of it aside.
Method 3 of 3: troubleshooting
Step 1. Make sure you hit the weakest part of the door
If you're sure the door can be kicked in but it won't give in, try another spot or kick.
Step 2. You can also try a backward kick
Above all, this method offers more pressure and stability. Stand with your back to the door and step back out; kind of like a donkey. Make sure, however, that your foot hits the door straight and below the doorknob.
- You can also rest your arms on the shoulders of a friend standing in front of you (or use a table or something that doesn't move and hold your weight) to get more stability while trying to place the kick in the right place.
- Do a few 'test' attempts to make sure you don't break your foot on the doorknob.
Step 3. Try a frontal kick
A front kick won't be quite as powerful as a side or back kick, but you can place your foot better. Stand a few steps away from the door with your stronger leg behind. Then move the leg forward with a swing and place the frontal kick at the point under the doorknob; really tight (with a forward movement, not up).
- Do not perform this kick with the ball of your foot, but with your heel. Be careful and be careful not to hit the doorknob.
- This type of kick increases the risk of injury dramatically as the pressure is not directly perpendicular to the door and the toes could hit the doorknob or the lock. This, in turn, can injure the ankles or tendons on the heel.
Step 4. Know when to stop
There is no point in stepping on a door that does not give way. It will only damage the door or even your body. So try to find another way to get inside.
- Check that you have played through all of the options. Is there another way to get in? Have you thought about breaking a small window that is easy to replace? Let the whole situation go through your head again and if there really is no other option, move on to the next step.
- Alternatively, you can use a hammer, plate, or something else that is good for hitting to hit the area below the doorknob. A crowbar can also help if the doors are particularly heavy. This is especially true for people who are not physically equipped to perform a good kick.
Tips
- Ramming the door with your shoulder can cause dislocations. In addition, there is not a lot of pressure in the impact, as your shoulder is much softer and takes longer to deliver the pressure than your shoe, for example. So you'd better kick it.
- Under no circumstances should you jump when kicking. A jump doesn't add to the power of your kick unless you're jumping off a ladder or doing a roundhouse kick with a twist. However, this would not do you any good in the case of the door. Jumping will result in less stability, less pedaling force and, in the worst case scenario, injury.
- It can help if you exhale hard or scream while entering. In martial arts this method is also called kiai (pronounced 'key-hiya). It is used to strengthen the core muscles and prevents the upper body from stopping the forward movement (so more energy flows towards the door).
- If you feel that at some point you need to use the method, try it out a few times on safe and easy destinations beforehand. This will help ensure that you don't get hurt when it comes to the whole picture.
Warnings
- Never fully extend your leg when it comes to this type of kick. Make sure your leg is still slightly bent when your foot hits the target. Straightening your leg can lead to serious knee injuries.
- The instructions mainly refer to wooden doors without a lock bolt. Should there be a lock bolt, it will take significantly more pressure or several attempts to break the frame. If the door and frame are made of metal, you should just blow the whole thing off as you will only hurt yourself and leave yourself frustrated.
- If you are not in good physical condition, please do not use the method either. There is a lot of pressure on the body and therefore it should not be used by people who are physically challenged.
