Requirements for Rank of Orange Belt
Look below for an overview of rank requirements. If you have any questions, bring them to class so we can work through them.
Orange Belt Katas and Sets:
Adult Card
Short Form 1, Right and Left Sides
Striking Set 1
Kicking Set 1
Kids Card
Short Form 1, Right and Left Sides
Striking Set 1
Orange Belt Techniques:
For an overview of all belt requirements, download the Orange card here.
1 (1) TRIGGERED SALUTE
2 (2) GLANCING SALUTE
3 * LONE KIMONO
4 (3) CLUTCHING FEATHERS
5 • GIFT OF DESTRUCTION
6 * FIVE SWORDS
7 * SHIELDING HAMMER
8 * RAINING CLAW
9 (4) DANCE OF DEATH
10 * GRIP OF DEATH
11 (8) LOCKING HORNS
12 (5) LOCKED WING
13 * BUCKLING BRANCH
14 * THRUSTING SALUTE
15 * OBSCURE WING
16 * OBSCURE SWORD
17 (6) REVERSING MACE
18 (7) REPEATING MACE
19 (8) SCRAPING HOOF
20 • THRUSTING PRONGS
21 • STRIKING SERPENT'S HEAD
22 (9) CRASHING WINGS
23 (10) CROSSING TALON
24 • TWISTED TWIG
You don’t need to read the whole page to get the technique. Use the typefaces to help you scan quickly: All stances are in bold
Each foot change is in italics
Each strike is underlined
These techniques work best in a printed manual, designed to be worked with on the mat. They are printed with a spiral binding, large enough so that you stand a good chance of reading them if the book is open on the mat as you work the technique. Each technique is formatted to cover only one page (you need never turn a page in the brief or skeletal descriptions of the technique), although the discussions do cross pages. The printed versions will always have the latest comments and developments, and are printed only as you order them. Click on KENPO KARATE MANUALS to visit the publisher's site.
1 (1) TRIGGERED SALUTE
(right straight step-through push)
His shove triggers your right step forward with a heelpalm to his chin that then drops to hook his elbow in to you, opening his ribs for an inward/outward right elbow, followed by a right uppercut.
1) natural stance, L hand pin his R pushing hand to your L shoulder, R foot step forward to 11 o’clock, buckling R knee, to R neutral bow as you
-R heelpalm to chin
2) R downward crane strike to bicep, hooking his bent arm at elbow
-pull inward and upward with R hand, forcing him to arch his back
3) R horizontal inward elbow
-R horizontal outward elbow
4) R uppercut to chin
-L hand still pinning R hand
The basic path of the technique is a collapse in- heelpalm, crane, elbow. You can extend that, after the downward crane of (2) if you hook the arm at the elbow and pull up in a curve shape to get him to arch his back into the elbow strikes. • The push triggers the salute. This is an alternative to the same attack that causes Delayed Sword. Instead of retreating with the strike, turn that energy right back in at the attacker. However hard he hits you, that force transfers to his chin. The force is also transferred to your right knee, which attacks his right knee, just as in Five Swords. • The downward crane strike, right on the bicep, can effectively numb the arm. However the main function of that move is to hook the arm for the pull. That pull opens up his ribs for the inward elbow strike. It will make his back arch, open his ribs, cancel his depth and keep his left fist out of the equation. • It’s possible to work in a right outward backnuckle to the ribs following the outward elbow, before the uppercut. • Standing naturally while opponent pushes your left shoulder with his right hand, step forward and to your left with your right foot to 11 o'clock (into a right neutral bow) to buckle on the inside of opponent's right knee. Simultaneously pin opponent's right hand with your left (against your left shoulder) and strike opponent's chin with a right forward heel palm thrust.
2 (2) GLANCING SALUTE
(right hand to right shoulder push)
Step forward slipping outside the punch and pinning the attacker’s hand turn right to a forward bow, breaking his arm at the elbow, then turn left with another forward bow to shoot a heelpalm through his chin to grab onto his head and pull it into your knee as you step forward, landing with an elbow/heelpalm sandwich to the head.
1) natural stance, L step forward to 11 o’clock L neutral bow
-R hand pins his R wrist to your R shoulder
- pivot clockwise R forward bow facing 3 o’clock with a
-L inward block to elbow
2) pivot counterclockwise L forward bow facing 12 o’clock as you
-R heelpalm through chin to a hooking outward grab around his neck
-L hand checks his R arm against body
4) R crane grab around neck, pull head into R knee as you
-R step-through forward with R knee kickto head
-R leg land forward, R neutral bow, checking into R knee
-R elbow to head, L heelpalm sandwich
Manny Tena points out that if after the left inward block of (1), your right hand curves down inward with the left hand check of (2), so that the back of your hand is pushing his arm against him, then your left hand is perfectly positioned for added torque as you add a left chop to the right heelpalm strike of (3). • Think of the left inward block and right heelpalm, the first two strikes, as a single move. You don’t break the arm then break the jaw, but use the arm break to throw him into the heelpalm. Learn it first as two moves, but you will love it as a single move. • The attack is probably a step through, but not necessarily, and your response will be the same. Simply, as always, gauge your steps to where your attacker actually is. • The stance changes add power to each hit. • After the right knee, you may simply land back to a left neutral bow and skip the last hits. If you land forward, you may also add a knife-edge scrape to his right leg if his position allows. • You must clear his right arm with your left check or you will be unable to do the glancing salute to the head. • It’s a weird sort of forward bow, that first one, as you pivot towards 3:00- your toe/heel line is about two feet wide, but thinking of it that way adds a lot of power to the arm break and helps you tie those first two strikes, the break and the glancing salute, together. Weird can be good.
3 * LONE KIMONO
(left straight lapel grab)
Grab his grabbing hand with your left and you step straight back to straighten out his arm, so that your right arm can shoot up to break his arm at the elbow. Then circle it around to knock his arm across his body, rebounding with a chop to the throat.
1) natural stance, L hand pin attacker’s L hand
-L foot step back to 5 o’clock to R neutral bow
-R arm uppercut to elbow, continuing upward to bend his elbow backwards (your uppercut hits the back of his elbow with the inside of yours, then turns from palm up to palm down as you continue up)
2) R hand drops under and around to R inward block to L arm (again at elbow if possible), clearing arm inward across body, pulling him in
-L hand checking forward
3) R outward handsword to neck
“Uppercut” may be misleading- it’s the same path as a fist punch, but the striking surface is more exactly the inside of your elbow, striking to the bottom of his elbow. Your arm slides along his arm as you continue the punch with the counterclockwise turn of your fist. • The attacker is grabbing him with his left in order to punch you with his right. Be sure to pin the attacker’s hand to you before you step back, so that your left step will pull him forward off balance, canceling his depth and extending his arm. This is the same opening move as in Clutching Feathers. • If you grab the meat of his thumb, between the joint and the wrist, and twist slightly counterclockwise as you step, you will force his elbow to facing down. This is the ideal target for your upward strike, which is made with the bicep or inside of your elbow, just depending on the relative lengths of yours’ and your attacker’s arms. It is most effective as an uppercut to the elbow, that immediately turns (your fist pivots inward to face palm out) counterclockwise as it shoots to up an angle about 45° off vertical. The turn will add a few inches, and torque, to the arm break. It is essential, if you are dummying for this technique to turn your elbow to the ceiling as the other student steps back. This will allow him to do the technique and you to maintain use of your arm. • Every strike of your right arm has the opportunity to use torque, including the inward block and the inward chop. In both cases, cock your right arm with the last part of the previous move, so that just before the inward block you turn the right palm out, facing the attacker, and then just before the inward handsword you cock the hand in, palm towards your left ear. It’s part of the swing, not a separate move. • With a much taller attacker, the right arm uppercut can’t really work, the leverage is wrong. An alternative, a superior choice for most women, is after pinning with your left hand, to step forward with your right foot (or back with your left, try both) and pivot hard counterclockwise using your shoulder against his elbow.
4 (3) CLUTCHING FEATHERS
(left hand hair grab)
Grab his grabbing hand and step back, pulling him off balance into a middle knuckle strike to his armpit, then knock away his arm with a outward block as you heelpalm to the chin and come back with a hammerfist through the jaw.
1) natural stance, L hand grab attacker’s L wrist, pin him to your head
-L foot step back to 6:30 R neutral bow with
-R vertical middle knuckle strike to L armpit
2) R extended outward block to inside of R forearm with
-L heelpalm to face as you drop to
-R forward bow
3) R inward hammerfist (palm up) to L jaw as you pivot back L to
-R neutral bow
In the land of Kenpo “feathers” refers to hair. Many body parts will be renamed as you travel towards your black belt. • Grab the grab. Your first move is to gain control of the situation. If you are being grabbed, almost always the first thing you will do is to pin that grab. Here you then you step back, pulling him off balance, into your strike, putting the weight on his forward leg so he cannot kick you, and getting away from his right hand that might be about to punch you. • The punch is shaped to the target, which is why it is vertical and why the middle knuckle extends out, to reach bunch of nerves gathered in the armpit (the brachial plexus). • Mr. White and other masters prefer a straight vertical punch to the ribs instead of the armpit Dragon Knuckle. • After the armpit strike, your right hand turns clockwise inside to get inside of the attacker’s right arm, then moves down the arm toward you, tracking along the arm as a vertical outward block until it is past the elbow, and turns out to an extended outward block. This all can help pull the attacker into the left heel palm. Don’t turn to the extended block before the elbow, or you will be encouraging his elbow to bend, and risk getting his left fist in your face. • The stance changes feed the power of the hit. Usually each hit will be accompanied by a step or stance change. They should happen together. • The original Parker technique ended with the heelpalm. We go through the hammerfist. Many teachers end by adding a shuffle in, collapsing the hammerfist to a right inward horizontal elbow to the jaw. • Ian McLane, a young student in my Summer Kenpo 2011 program, suggested replacing the R inward hammer of (3) with an uppercut punch. This makes the move follow in a circle from the R outward block of (2), making a lovely kenpo shape. When you move to your 1st Brown extension the uppercut could then form the same circular pattern as the right hand of 3rd Brown technique Unfurling Crane. Excellent work, Ian, very nice.
Whatever you do, when you practice this, or any other technique, don’t stop and say you can’t go on without the proper attack. It is hard to imagine developing a more useless habit. Even if you forget what to do, adapt to what you are given with a response that makes you safe. Stopping in the middle won’t help. • Keep low, using the wide kneel in picking up the right leg. Try to keep your back straight, and bend your legs instead. This will save you much pain, and keep your balance more effectively. The higher you end up holding that right leg, the more his hips are off the ground, the less likely he is to try and kick with his left. You can grab his leg with your fingers, but circling around to the outward block will use your body like a set of levers, and you will need less muscle for the same result. Ideally, get his instep tucked into your armpit, braced against a vertical outward block. He will find this painful. • After the right upward vertical reverse hand sword, or ridgearm, if you can grab his right shoulder with your right hand, stepping in with the block, you will have more control over the turn, and also be able to roll your forearm through his trachea.
5 • GIFT OF DESTRUCTION
(handshake)
Yank his grab down to your right hip, pulling him into a heelpalm that breaks his arm and a knee to the groin that bends him forward into your inward right elbow to the head as land forward, your right foot scraping down his right leg.
1) natural stance, L foot hop to 11 o’clock R knee to groin
-R hand, grabbing R hand, yanks to R hip
-L hand heelpalm to elbow
2) R foot land forward, scraping R leg R neutral bow
-R inward horizontal elbow to L jaw
Treat the handshake as a grab, his prelude to punching you with his right. As with all grabs you take control by grabbing the grab, in this case by simply yanking him down off balance. •You yank him into the knee kick. If he doesn’t move in with his right foot, you won’t be able to scrape down his leg and stay in a neutral bow. Stay in the neutral bow and use your right knee to attack the inside of his right leg. If the guy is too big to move forward, you may also need to adjust the angle of the right knee kick, and go straight forward instead of to 11. The important thing is the target, his groin, so go to it.
8 6 * FIVE SWORDS
(right step-through roundhouse punch)
Right step into his hook punch with a double block, your right knee attacking his right knee, then right chop to the neck, left heelpalm to the chin, right uppercut to the belly.
1) natural stance, R foot step forward to 11 o’clock to R neutral bow, buckling R knee as you
-R inward handsword to R bicep, L outward handsword to R wrist
2) R outward handsword to neck
3) L heelpalm to chin as you pivot to a R forward bow
-R hand cocks to hip, palm up fist
4) R uppercut to solar plexus as you unwind to a R neutral bow
This is the only technique from the Yellow card to step into the attack, to attack the attack before it touches you. • Every stance change adds to the power of a hit. • All of the strikes can be handswords. Your first two swords are to the attacking arm, right outward handsword to the neck, left thrusting handsword to the eyes, right stabbing handsword to the solar plexus or viscera. That makes five swords. Stabbing handsword moves require special training. • Think of the whole shape as meeting the punch, then circling in to the right (right chop, left heelpalm), and coming back left (right uppercut). You can use the power of his attack to send the first right inward block bouncing off of the guy’s bicep, using his attack to power your chop to his neck. • Changing the final strike to an uppercut to the chin is a powerful choice. Changing it to a heelpalm to the chin prevents damage to your own right hand.
7 * SHIELDING HAMMER
(left step-through hook punch)
Step back as you block, bouncing your block off his arm to hammer through his face, then shuffle straight in with an elbow strike, checking all the while with your other hand.
1) natural stance, L foot step back to 7 o’clock to R forward bow
-R extended outward block to wrist
-L high check
2) R inward raking backnuckle through bridge of nose as you
-pivot to R neutral bow
3) shuffle forward with
-R elbow strike to solar plexus, still in R neutral bow
Think of the initial outward block as stealing the power of the attacker’s hook punch, as he punches himself in the face with your fist. • Your outward block moves to the attacking arm in a straight line from point of origin, which is the term we use to describe moving from wherever you are. There’s no build up, no wind-up, simply shoot from wherever your right hand is, in a straight line to hit the right arm below the elbow. That will prevent you’re getting hit by a bending arm. Keep in mind that this is the extended outward block of star block, not the vertical outward block of Short Form One. • Your arm moves in a circle off that first hit, and can use that hit to bounce off into the attacker’s nose, to break it at the bridge. That circle continues with the fist as the elbow stops, taking over the forward momentum in another straight line to the chest with your elbow strike. • The elbow strike can also be described as a right horizontal dipping outward elbow, which takes much longer to say than to do, but may give you the idea of collapsing your elbow in for the final hit.
8 * RAINING CLAW
(right step-through uppercut punch)
Step back left with a right downward inward block, left downward claw and right backnuckle to the face (a kind of gathering –in circle).
1) natural stance, L foot step back to 7 o’clock to R neutral bow
-R downward inward block to R attacking forearm
-L hand check high
2) L overhead downward heelpalm claw to face as you pivot to a R forward bow
3) R backnuckle to face as you unwind back to R neutral bow
All claws are actually heelpalm claws, your heelpalm in this case breaking the nose that your claw then possibly rips off. • Your hands move in a circle, pulling him in and striking as the block hits the forearm, the claw rains down, and the backnuckle shoots out. The backnuckle moves on a straight line, and you can get a feel almost of building to escape trajectory with the circle before it. • You may need a shuffle in with the backnuckle, as he pulls away from the claw. • Often in class you will be tempted to step forward with the block, instead of back, as most folks won’t commit to the punch for safety reasons. It’s a better way to dummy if you can go in with the punch, keeping you left hand high to protect your face from claws and punches. • You can use your forward bow to add power to the heelpalm claw- a tad slower, but more power.
9 (4) DANCE OF DEATH
(right straight shuffle punch)
Step outside the punch, going forward with an inward parry ay you ridgearm to the groin, then walk right through him, knocking him on his back with an elbow to the chest as you pick up his foot with your other hand and lift his hips off the ground for a finger strike to the groin.
1) natural stance, L foot step to 11 o’clock L neutral bow with a
-L inward parry, with a
2) R ridgearm to groin as you drop to a
-L forward bow
3) R foot step through to 10 o’clock to R wide kneel stepping between his feet
-L hand slides down and grabs R leg below knee
-stand, pivoting counterclockwise to horse with a
-R horizontal elbow strike to chest as
-your L vertical outward block traps his R foot under your L armpit
4) R hand circles out R counterclockwise, (clearing against possibility of L kick with) R backnuckle to R leg
-R downward finger strike to groin
In Orange you step into danger. From now on this will be your response to a straight right punch- left step in with a left inward parry. You strike to the open target. Here it’s the groin, later you’ll go to the throat, the belly, through the kidney, you’ll work it with different weapons, but always this- step straight into the punch, use his power against him. • Designed to counter a shuffling right jab, the technique works just as well against a step-through right, you just have to make sure his right leg doesn’t end up in your groin. Here are two ways to make Dance of Death work with a step-through right:
Step around his forward right foot after you stepping outside the punch. It makes your groin strike less direct, but it makes it easier to pick up the right leg. The technique then begins with:
1) natural stance, L foot step to 11 o’clock L neutral bow with a
-L inward parry, with a
2) R ridgearm to groin as you drop to a
-L forward bow
3) L front crossover around to inside his R leg to L front twist stance
4) R foot step through to 10 o’clock- stepping between his feet to R wide kneel
-L hand slides down and grabs R leg below knee
-stand, pivoting counterclockwise to horse with a etcetera
Whatever you do, when you practice this, or any other technique, don’t stop and say you can’t go on without the proper attack. It is hard to imagine developing a more useless habit. Even if you forget what to do, adapt to what you are given with a response that makes you safe. Stopping in the middle won’t help. • Keep low, using the wide kneel in picking up the right leg. Try to keep your back straight, and bend your legs instead. This will save you much pain, and keep your balance more effectively. The higher you end up holding that right leg, the more his hips are off the ground, the less likely he is to try and kick with his left. You can grab his leg with your fingers, but circling around to the outward block will use your body like a set of levers, and you will need less muscle for the same result. Ideally, get his instep tucked into your armpit, braced against a vertical outward block. He will find this painful. • After the right upward vertical reverse hand sword, or ridgearm, if you can grab his right shoulder with your right hand, stepping in with the block, you will have more control over the turn, and also be able to roll your forearm through his trachea.
10 * GRIP OF DEATH
(left flank right arm headlock)
Step forward as his headlock throws you forward by the neck, hooking your trailing foot inside his near foot, landing in a close kneel that traps his ankle as you hammerfist into his groin and kidney, then reversing direction as you turn into him with a heelpalm to chin.
1) attacker has you in a head lock, your chin tucked L into your chest, L hand grabbing palm in at his choking R arm as he throws you forward counterclockwise from your left side, his right leg in front of your left, R foot step to 10 o’clock R close kneel, back straight
-L foot snug against inside (L side) of his R foot
-L hand pulling down on choke (or using a L check on his R hip to prevent the choke
2) R hammerfist to groin as you
-L hammerfist to L kidney
3) L hand grab attacker’s hair
-pull L elbow to hip
-pivot counterclockwise to 6 o’clock L forward bow
-R heelpalm to face
As with any grab, don’t allow him to get started. Duck your chin and grab the choke immediately as you respond. • You have several ways working together to counter his attack and break his grip. He’s throwing you forward, so you go with it, stepping in front of him with your right foot as you snug up your left foot parallel to his right, which brings your left knee just outside of his right knee. If you kneel, with back straight, he will either let go or your kneel will rip his Achilles’ tendon. If that doesn’t work, you have another inducement with your right hammerfist and another with your left. • The are several alternatives to the hair grab - you can grab his shoulder or his collar or with your left hand to the right side of his face cross your fingers and lay them horizontally left under his nose and pull back. He’ll go pretty much wherever you want. • If the previous work is very successful, he’ll already be falling over your left knee, and not allow you the opportunity for the heelpalm to the chin. You can make it into a hammerfist to the solar plexus or groin, depending on what’s available. Keep your right arm bent at the elbow and held horizontally as a check in case he kicks up as he falls backwards.
11 (8) LOCKING HORNS
(front head lock)
As your left hand’s pulling down the choke, your right hits his groin with a ridgearm as you step into him with your right foot, then shoot your right elbow up through his chin as you stand up, your hands first spreading his arms, then collapsing to catch his head in an elbow sandwich.
1) bent over, chin tucked, attacker in front with his arm around your throat, trying to pick you up by your neck, R foot step forward R wide kneel
-R ridgearm to groin
-L hand at neck, inside choke, palm out
2) R upward reverse elbow strike to chin
-L hand pulling down R wrist
3) standing up, spreading hands outward with R and L outward parries
- R neutral bow
4) shuffle in
-R inward horizontal elbow to left jaw
-L heelpalm to right jaw
In any choke situation, your first job is to duck your chin, so that if all else fails, he cannot get to your windpipe. This situation might arise when you are trying to tackle someone, and get in close and low. This front head lock is a good and dangerous technique in itself. • You may need to hit upward with several reverse elbow strikes, to break through his grip, and get to the chin. Don’t stop until you hit the chin. The groin hit enables you to get in the elbow hit, which enables you to stand up and spread aside his arms. It’s all in aid of the elbow head sandwich. And getting free People will apply the choke hold in different ways, and your technique will work with them all. Attack the groin to attack to chin to get yourself free, to go back at him
12 (5) LOCKED WING
(right arm hammerlock)
Step back through him, with your elbow and heelpalm going through his face to hook his arm at the elbow so that you can break it by dropping to a forward bow, then step back with the opposite foot to pull him around you into a knee kick to the face.
1) natural stance, R hand grab his R wrist
-L foot steps back to 4:30 R neutral bow
-L horizontal outward elbow, L heelpalm claw through face
-L hand circles counterclockwise to hook R arm at elbow
2) pivot clockwise dropping to R forward bow, breaking arm, making him start to move forward
3) R foot step through rear to 4:30 to L neutral bow
-locking his broken elbow to you with your left arm, releasing with your R hand as you pull him along to
-R knee rebounds to R knee kick to face
-with R heelpalm to back of neck
As you left step back into him use your left claw through the face to move him away enough to hook his arm at the elbow. • Grab the grab. • Go through the attacker with your left step as your left elbow goes through his face. That step should buckle his right knee. Unless he’s sufficiently larger, and you figure that your rear sweep couldn’t move his weight, in which case you’d do best to step around and maintain your balance into the arm break. • Your forward bow breaks the arm. Use a left uppercut to emphasize the stance change, if you want. • The forward bow goes into the step through to the rear that rebounds into the knee kick. Don’t let the momentum die between sections - the forward bow starts the attacker moving forward, you pick up on that motion to pull him back by way of his locked wing, and right into the kick. • For now, land back to a left neutral. The ending you will study at 1st Brown begins with landing forward to a right neutral bow.
13 * BUCKLING BRANCH
(step-through left front kick)
Turn him around with your block so that you’re facing his back as you step back and immediately rebound with a kick to the groin. Land back feet together so that your other foot can kick out his far leg.
1) natural stance, R foot step back to 4:30 to L neutral bow
-R inward parry to inside kicking R leg
-L outward downward block as R hand cocks back to hip, palm up
2) R front kick to groin
-L foot pivoting through counterclockwise with kick
-L hand check high, R middle
-R leg land next to L leg, toes of R foot facing to 3 o’clock
3) L snapping knife-edged kickto R knee
-land L front crossover, R step out
This technique is identical to Thrusting Salute through the front kick. With the first step back you are making use of where you placed the attacker with your downward block. Each technique works just fine with the other attack, however, and if you do Buckling Branch to someone’s front it would be devastating to the attacker’s left knee. • If the inward parry/outward block timing of (1) proves difficult at first simply raise your right hand as a middle check with your retreating step. Incorporate the covering block when you can. • Make sure you block with fingers tight against each other, which is easiest as a fist. It is remarkably easy to dislocate a finger.
14 * THRUSTING SALUTE
(step-through right front kick)
Step back as you block his kick, and step back through into him with a right front kick and right thrusting heelpalm.
1) natural stance, R foot step back to 4:30 L neutral bow facing 10:30
-R inward parry to inside kicking R leg
-L downward block as R hand cocks back to hip, palm up
2) L hand check medium
-step-through R front kick to groin
-R foot land to 10:30 between legs R neutral bow
-R heelpalm to chin
Most all kicks will be either as Thrusting salute, stepping back and rebounding to kick, or as Delayed Sword, stepping back to kick with the leg left in front. • Step away from the kick to the spot from which you want to kick him. You are lining him up with your downward block, so step to a line perpendicular to where he’s going to land, giving you a clear shot to the groin. • The inward parry is insurance; the block lines him up and protects you, and should deeply hurt his shin. • Changing the inward parry and downward block to hammerfist strikes will shorten your range but increase your power. Joe Stronsick uses this response with great power, and his block pretty much ends the argument. • The opening of this and Buckling Branch are identical and each will work on the other’s attack. Once you’ve begun, keep on going, even if you realize you’re on the wrong track. That way, you have a chance. • Cocking your right hand back to your hip after the parry, with the block, sets it up so that your heel palm will torque inward as it strikes the chin. • If you don’t at least keep your fingers together when you block (using a hammerfist is more effective) you may find your finger literally kicked off. It takes very little force to pop the finger off backward out of the socket and through the skin. Don’t risk blocking a kicking leg with a single finger.
15 * OBSCURE WING
(left hand to right shoulder rear grab)
Grab his grabbing hand as you look to see who it is. Step out to a horse stance as you hit him in the belly so hard with your elbow that your arm straightens out to hammerfist his groin, doubling him over so that his chin goes down to meet your elbow coming up (grab/look; step/hit; down/up).
1) natural stance, L hand pins L hand to R shoulder as you look to see who it is
-R foot step to 3 o’clock to horse stance
-R rear elbow (palm up) to solar plexus
2) R hammerfist to groin
-R vertical upward rear elbow to chin
All of the techniques you practice will have the same three parts- (1) make yourself safe; (2) pay the guy back; (3) leave safely. • In Obscure Wing you make yourself safe by grabbing the grab. This is a fundamental response to a grab in kenpo. Take control of the situation, then use marriage of gravity in the step to horse to add power to your rear elbow strike. Nathalie Schrans (one of my longtime students) has renamed this principle “Merge of Gravity ” (possibly because I was mumbling when I first said it, but it’s apt- it’s exactly what you want to do). • You are stepping to 3 o’clock, not backward, but if you are being pulled you may end up somewhere you didn’t intend. The technique takes his yank into consideration- the harder he yanks, the harder your elbow hits him. You are just stepping to a horse. • There’s no need to let go of his left hand until you’re leaving. • Begin with your right palm facing back as your hand rests at your side. As the palm turns up, the elbow snaps back, creating torque. You should be able to find this principle (torque) in nearly all your strikes. Turning the hand provides the power- try to avoid the hand coming forward to add power to the hit. It takes too long. • If you wish, you can make the hammerfist to the groin into a heelpalm claw, and grab hold of the testicles, ripping up as you elbow to the chin. That grab could serve, even more than the already effective hammerfist, to bring his chin down in to the upward strike.
16 * OBSCURE SWORD
(left hand to right shoulder rear push)
Grab on to him as he pushes you from behind as you left step forward, pulling him forward off balance, then turn into him with a right chop, left front kick.
1) natural stance, L hand across chest to R shoulder- pinning attacker’s L hand
-L foot step forward to 1:30 to L neutral bow, pulling attacker
2) pivot clockwise to R forward bow to identify attacker, then as needed-
-R outward handsword to throat
-L front kick to groin, L foot land back to R neutral bow
First off, very important with all techniques, is to be sure that it’s not a friendly hand on your shoulder, even before the pull. In this technique, as opposed to Obscure Wing, your attacker is directly behind you (not off to the side). If you feel a grab from the back, and cannot turn to see who it is, as you can with Obscure Wing, this gives you the chance to step forward and turn around to take a look before the chop lands. • Pull the attacker forward with you. You can go to a left forward bow instead of a left neutral to increase the pull. This cancels his depth, and pulls him into your right chop. • You are stepping to where you want to kick from. You step forward, turn and kick. So make sure you’re stepping sufficiently off to the right. If you step directly to 12 you’ll have to circle around your own body to get to him. • When you land back, you should be in fighting stance (guard up).
17 (6) REVERSING MACE
(left step-through straight punch)
Circle your forward hand through an inward parry to a backnuckle to the ribs as your rear hand circles up to an outward parry as you offstep up the circle with your left foot to enable a good right kick down on the back of the knee.
1) R neutral bow, offstep L foot counterclockwise to 4:30 R neutral bow
-R inward parry
-L vertical outward parry, waiter’s check
-R horizontal outward backnuckle to L floating ribs
2) R snapping overhead looping downward roundhouse kick to back of knee of L leg
-R leg land to 4:30 R front crossover L step out
The parry maintains the direction of the attack forward while shifting it enough off target so’s not to get hit. It’s not a strike. It allows you to use the forward motion of his attack, as in this case the harder he throws himself into the step-through the harder he gets hit by the backnuckle. • The waiter’s check is a vertical outward block, hand open, palm up so that the hand is at right angle outward to the forearm, serving to trap anything below it. • Time the step to the strike, so that your foot is hitting the ground as your backnuckle hits his ribs. • The lengthy title to the kick describes the trajectory. The idea is simply to kick him in the back of the knee so as to make his kneecap hit the ground. Make sure you snap this kick so that your foot isn’t caught in his folding falling leg.
18 (7) REPEATING MACE
(left step-through cross push)
Step back with your left foot as your left hand outward parries the shove and your right hand follows at rib height, striking through the ribs as a raking hammerfist and back as a backnuckle. Then your right foot kicks his left knee to the ground.
1) natural stance, L foot step through rear to 5 o’clock
-L vertical outward parry to waiter’s check, palm up
-R inward raking horizontal hammerfist through L kidney as you step back
-R backnuckle to L floating ribs as you land to R neutral bow
2) R snapping downward overhead looping roundhouse kick to back of L knee
Here’s an alternative:
1) natural stance, L foot steps back to 4:30 to R front twist stance
-L vertical outward parry as you
-R inward raking horizontal hammerfist through L kidney
2) unwind clockwise to R neutral bow as you
- R backnuckle to L floating ribs
This way is makes use of the stance change to add power to the hits. You land in the twist with the raking hammerfist, and you unwind with the backnuckle. The first version uses the step through with the raking hammerfist, and uses landing in the neutral bow with the backnuckle. I find more power in stepping into the twist and unwinding. I wrote the simple version in the bigger type. Find the one that works best. • This is similar to Reversing Mace, which begins in a fighting stance and uses two parries and one hit, as Repeating Mace begins in feet together and uses two hits and one parry. • It’s a parry, not a block, because you want to use him going right into the backnuckle as hard as he can.
9 (5) SCRAPING HOOF
(attempted full nelson)
Pin his arms by straightening yours as you shoot your fists together and down, straightening up to bash him in the face with the back of your head and back kick/side kick/ scrape with first your right foot, then repeating the three attacks with your left foot.
1) natural stance, in a full nelson before his fingers lock, ram your fists together and down in front, grabbing your own hands as you straighten both arms to pin his arms to you
-straighten your legs
-arch your neck to strike his face with the back of your head
2) bend your L knee
-R snapping back kick to inside of L knee
-R snapping side kick to R shin
-scrape R foot down inside R shin
-R heel stomp to R instep
3) bend your R knee
-L snapping back kick to inside of R knee
-L snapping side kick to L shin
-scrape L foot down inside L shin
-L heel stomp to L instep
You may not have time for both back/side/scrape combinations. One should be more than enough. • There will be two more full nelson defense techniques. This one is designed to be used before he has had a chance to get his fingers locked behind your head. If it has gone that far you’ll have a lot of trouble making this work. • Turn your hips into the back kick and back with the side kick, to get your power behind the kick. • Bending the knee of the supporting leg not only strengthens your balance, but also adds marriage of gravity to your kicks.
20 • THRUSTING PRONGS
(bear hug, arms pinned)
Step back to impale him on your thumbs, then hooking his left arm, step into him with a knee kick to the groin, adding an elbow strike to your scraping stomp as you land.
1) natural stance, R foot step back to L forward bow
-brace elbows together against your chest, thumbs together, up and stuck forward as two thrusting prongs to solar plexus or bladder
2) still braced, L hand circles around to grab R arm at elbow (with crane hook)
-R knee kick to groin
-R knife-edged kick to L knee, scraping down shin
3) R foot land to 1:30 R foot stomp to L foot
-R neutral bow
-R inward horizontal elbow to L jaw
You begin by making yourself into a spear, braced to the ground by your right heel, and let the attacker charge into you. The harder he goes at you, the worse off he is. You use his attack against him. Mel Gibson’s Braveheart made good use of this notion against the English cavalry. • Be sure to keep your thumbs rigid, together, braced against each other and back to your chest. They should prove a perfect fit to the gap beneath the sternum. • As you step forward into the elbow strike, your left elbow pulls down to your hip, pulling him into the strike.
21 • STRIKING SERPENT'S HEAD
(front bear hug, arms free)
As you step back right foot your left hand whips a backnuckle around his head to land on his left temple, then grabs his hair and pulls it back to open him up for a half-fist punch to the throat.
1) R foot step back to 5 o’clock to L neutral bow as your
-R hand checks forward
-L hand whips around back behind head to backnuckle strike to L temple (thumb down)
-L hand grabs hair, R hand chambered palm up at R hip
2) anchor L elbow toward L hip, pulling back head and opening throat
-R half-fist strike (palm down) to throat, pivoting counterclockwise L forward bow
-pivot back clockwise L neutral bow
This technique is useful if he already has you in a close bear hug. If you do it sooner, when he is farther away, your backnuckle strike won’t reach around his head. If you see him coming you could use something like Parting Wings, moving into this if it doesn’t work. • Make use of the initial R check as a heelpalm strike to the chin, arching his back for the backnuckle. You can also circle in counterclockwise with a cupped heelpalm through the left ear, breaking the eardrum. If there is no hair to grab, you may hook your fingers over his head to his eyes to pull him back or make use of the two fingers horizontally under the nose, which also works very well. • Make use of the half-fist to fit to the target. Fingertips touching the top, rather than the base of the palm make a half-fist. In other (Latin) words, you’re hitting with the knuckles of the first phalanges rather the big knuckles of the metacarpals.
22 (9) CRASHING WINGS
(rear bear hug, arms free)
Step out to the side as you hit his forearms with your elbows, loosening his grab and allowing you to scoot your other leg behind him so that he will fall over it as you hit his face with a rear elbow and claw, followed by a hammerfist to his groin as he falls over your leg.
1) natural stance, R foot step to 3 o’clock to horse stance
-hitting his forearms with both elbows
2) L foot drag up to L cat stance
-R hand pinning and pulling his R arm
-L hand cocked across chest, palm in
3) L foot shoot behind attacker’s R leg L reverse bow
-pivot counterclockwise to L neutral bow as youL horizontal outward elbow strike to chin
-continue pivot L to L forward bow as you R downward hammerfist to groin
-L check over falling attacker
•
The first pair of elbow strikes are more inward than downward, enabling the points of your elbows to get to the forearms and make him release his grip a bit, which is your hope. • The step to the horse, cat up and shoot to the reverse bow is all part of the same move, getting behind him. Don’t delay with any part of it, which could allow him to regain his balance, which you don’t want. The right arm pinning his right arm against you as you step helps to pull him off balance as you get to a more stable stance. • In your Green Belt you will encounter another response to the same attack in Squatting Sacrifice. In that technique, as you step out right you squat back with your butt, sitting on his thigh just above the knee. In this technique you have to step farther out right. • The cat is close and tight, just to get past snug to his leg. Your leg can always be in contact with his. The move is quick, and you do not stop in the cat stance. After the horse stance, cat around to the reverse bow. It is broken down here for explanation, not pace. • The first step must be immediate, before he has a chance to begin to lift you. The farther to the right you go, the more impossible it will be for him to pick you up. • All the stances of (3) describe a single turn, and I’ve listed them because each gets it’s own hit. But just move through them, essentially straight from left reverse bow to left forward bow. As you turn, anchor your left elbow down to your hip after the elbow strike. You may pull him along with you, either with the elbow or with a grab. That left horizontal outward rear elbow strike might well be an upward diagonal rear elbow, depending on where he is. Wherever he is, hit him with your elbow. • Hopefully he will be falling over your left thigh at the end. Your target is whatever’s available. The groin is perhaps the most effective, but the heart or solar plexus may be a better target, and a heelpalm to the face is likewise effective.
23 (10) CROSSING TALON
(right cross wrist grab)
Grab his grab as you step into him, turning up his elbow for an inward block that drives him down just before you deliver horizontal and vertical elbows to his head and spine.
1) natural stance, L hand pins attacker’s grab to R wrist
-yank back, rotating R hand clockwise to grab R wrist
-L foot step forward to 1:30 L neutral bow
-L inward downward block to R elbow
2) yank R hand to R hip as you
-L horizontal outward elbow to head
-L heelpalm claw through face, anchoring elbow down on shoulder blade
-circle elbow clockwise to L downward vertical elbow to spine
3) L heelpalm to L mastoid, grab head
-R knee kick to face, L hand bracing for a head sandwich
An immediate yank back, as he grabs you, twisting out as you yank, will probably free your hand immediately. In that case you could adapt the rest of the technique, or just leave. If the grab is already applied, and you are going ahead with the technique, then, as always, grab the grab. Pin his fingers to your hand with a left heel palm. If you have large and powerful hands, you can easily grab your opponent simply rotating your right hand clockwise as you pull him back, and many teachers prefer this. You can also control him by simply trapping his fingers just below the big knuckles, at the base of the fingers. Keep this close to you, making your first move to pull his grabbing hand right into your belly as you pin his fingers. This has the advantage of working closer to yourself, and so requiring less power. If you’re at all unsure of your grip, this can help you control someone with more strength. Any time your hands are closer to your body you will require less force than at arms’ length. • This whole first action rolls forward until you have him braced down with your inward block. You left leg, just in front of his right allows you to pin him further by sitting on his right thigh. • Yanking his wrist right pulls his head into your left outward elbow.
24 • TWISTED TWIG
(right wrist lock)
Go straight into him with an upward elbow strike, then pivot left as you shoot your hand out and rebound the elbow into his face so hard it straightens out down to hammerfist the groin.
1) natural stance, L hand checks to wrist grab, pulling with in (towards you) to break the attacker’s grip as you
-R foot forward to 11 o’clock to R neutral bow
-R upward elbow to solar plexus or chin (keeping your hand to the right side of your head, which should leave his grabbing hand behind your R shoulder)
2) pivot counterclockwise to horse stance
-shooting R hand back to 5 o’clock, out of attacker’s grip
-R horizontal elbow to solar plexus or face
3) pivot counterclockwise to R reverse bow
-R hammerfist to groin
-L hand check high
This is written with an initial upward elbow, but it seems that if the opponent is much larger than you, the upward strike is less effective, and you free your hand with a straight drive in, rebounding to the rear elbow that breaks his nose (or goes to the solar plexus, again depending on size). It can be difficult to gauge the effectiveness of this in class since it relies on breaking the nose, which you want to avoid in a classroom situation. But if the opponent is too large to make te upward elbow work, and that doesn’t make him actually release your hand, it just makes him get hit harder by the rear elbow. • The left check can be an exceptionally effective weapon if you use it as a heelpalm to the face. Beside the damage of the hit it would also serve to knock him off balance backward, making it much more unlikely that he could maintain his grip or control. The check can also work as a grab to the grabbing hand, a check inward that adds it power to the elbow strike, or even a check to the right shoulder, that prevents the attacker from turning with the wrist lock. Whatever you use you must use immediately; for if the wrist lock moves lower than your shoulder you will be unable to use this technique at all, and in a lot of trouble.