Best Way to Kick a Door Down?
It is not just the bad guys that may want to come and try to kick your door down. There are many reasons why this is something that you should learn. Maybe you’re trying to save somebody from a burning building or you locked yourself out and don’t have time to wait for a locksmith – either way, that door needs to come down.
First things first, the door probably won’t go through as easy as it does in the movies.
A very well-known website The Art of Manliness claims that you should use a front kick but I really do not believe that this is the way to go. In short, they show a three-step process:
- Examine the door to see if it opens inward or out by looking at the hinges.
- Kick, near the keyhole, the side of where the lock is mounted.
- Now with a front kick, drive the heel of your foot into the center of the door.
Better Way to Breech a Door
If the door goes through with a front kick, great, good going but I believe this is not only dangerous but also ineffective. So how should you kick open a door where there is the potential of danger or an imminent need to get past the door further into the room?
Once you know which way the door opens, stand behind the wall on the side of the handle with your back against the wall. You should keep one foot behind the wall and the other should be against the door. Then, lift your knee up and kick backward like a mule being sure that you boot hits the spot right next to the handle. Keep these questions in mind and ensure you have the answers:
- Is it a “Pull-Door” that opens in towards you?
- Is it a “Push-Door” that opens into the next room away from you?
- Is it locked? If so, can you unlock it from your side?
- Is it reinforced?
Why is this a better option for kicking down a door?
Firstly, you are more stable in this position which will allow you to exert more force. You aim next to the handle and not the center of the door in this way, the force is directed towards the most important point.
Depending on the situation, you also don’t want to be stood straight in front of the door. Bullets can penetrate a door with ease but not so much a wall.
Finally, not all doors are solid so kicking the middle of the door could lead to your foot going through and leaving you stuck in the middle. This is never a good situation no matter what your reason for kicking down the door. A mule kick gives you a much better mechanical advantage to pulling your foot out of the door if it does happen to get stuck.
Don’t kick the knob. It may take two or three kicks, but most push doors will eventually give. Make sure you are ready, because once it pops, you may find yourself standing in the center of the “Fatal Funnel,” and you are now target.
Final Thoughts
Now you just how easy it is to kick in a door. In as little as one kick, criminals can be inside your house. Are you prepared? Make your house a tough house.