A step is a kick is a ....

Something I learned from the bagua guys. A step is a kick and a kick is a step. Think about the various kinds of movements you might make through various angles. How can those steps be applied as kicks?

Your best best is to "think low". That left side step becomes a right round kick, that forward/diagonal step becomes a side kick attacking to the knee joint.

Our group are learning pinan sandan right now. There's  a back kick in there. Yes, just after the first nukite (spear hand), turn/lean and pull in, then you spin into a hammer fist (tettsui). Make the step through in a straight line instead of a curve and the back kick is obvious.

Movement three in pinan nidan (heian shodan) is very similar. Another back kick. (To turn the step into a kick, simply substitute! I don't advocate changing the kata to incorporate the kick though - except for a bit of fun.)

Be sensible when analysing more movements. There must come a time when you cross the "silly" line, it will be obvious when you get there.

What about kicks? Kicks can be steps. Just miss out the kick and slide your foot forward instead! In shotokan' heian sandan they have kicking movements in the three horse stance/hammer techniques towards the end of the form. In other systems they simply step through. What can you learn from the stepping action? Entering, use of body weight, control of the feet. Anything else?

In bagua circle walking each step can be interpreted as a kicking movement too. Bagua people train to constantly load weight through the back leg and transfer it rapidly during stepping (it's a bit like karate's cat stance... actually nowhere near like that, but the feel of the springiness or loading on the back leg is the nearest equivalent.) Practicing in this way allows bagua people to develop fast footwork, and also fast kicks with the front leg.

It comes down to the position of your feet, the angle towards the target, and the weighting/loading of the legs.