How to Kick a Door Down

Kicking down a door is not something you do on a day to day basis. There may come the time, however, when you will need to know how to kick down a door. If you have locked yourself out of your house or there's someone on the other side of the door in an emergency situation, you may very well need to know how to kick down a door. Read on to learn how.

Instructions

1. Assess the situation and make sure the door is actually locked. Try other methods to get into the house or locked room, as kicking down a door will undoubtedly cause damage--to the door, and maybe to yourself as well.

2. Focus on the area where you will apply your kicks. The best place to kick is around the lock area or just below the doorknob.

3. Position yourself several feet away from the door, with your dominant foot closest to it. Using your dominant leg, give a powerful sidekick to the area you have focused on (below the doorknob or around the lock area).

4. Repeat Step 3 once or twice more if the door does not open. If it still doesn't open, stop trying to kick down the door. You may end up doing excessive damage to the door, and you could hurt yourself. It's best at this point to either find an alternative entrance or call for help.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice your kicks on something else before trying to kick down the door. It will help you loosen up and perfect your aim.

• If your door has glass in it, it is much easier the just break out the glass and unlock the door. It will be less expensive to replace the glass and less likely to cause injury to you (as long as you leave no shards of glass in the door).

• Make sure to always kick in the direction the door normally swings. If you are not positioned to kick in this direction, do not try and kick the door down. You could break your foot.

• Do not use your shoulders, back or other body parts besides your legs to kick a door down. You could dislocate your shoulders or cause injury to your body.

• Do not try kicking down a metal door--only wooden doors. Doors with deadbolts are also more difficult to kick down.

• If you are not in good physical shape, do not try kicking down a door. Seek help to gain entrance to your home or room.