Kenpo: Introducing Crashing Eagle

At times an opponent will attempt to grab your coat from behind in a fit of rage. This is especially poplar if you have taken the higher road and are attempting to walk away from a potential conflict. As you move in the opposite direction the opponent may desire to grab your coat to yank you off balance, pull you to the floor or shove you forward into a more solid object. It is often a first reaction for people who want to show their strength and power handing conflicts in social situations. 

In kenpo the conflict should be handled by walking away when possible. Only when attacked or under the potential for great bodily harm does a person have the right to defend themselves. Yet when their coat is grabbed and they face being knocked to the ground in someone’s fit of rage then it is necessary to use something like the Crash of Eagle to release the grip and stun the attacker.

The move is simple and that is part of its charm. It is easy to learn and beginning students can pick it up quickly. The move also offers an opportunity to add additional components to make it more complex and effective as the student masters basic skills. Each instructor seems to add their own elbow, kick, or claw to it. The variances in moves are almost as common as the differences among instructors.

Crash of Eagle-A (Opponent Grabs Coat with one Hand From Behind)

-Raise your right elbow above shoulder level as you cross to the right by moving your left foot to twist and face your opponent.

-Bring right elbow down on opponents arm to break their hold.

-Deliver right handed punch to opponents face while you simultaneously soft block with your left hand. 

Common Crash of Eagle Modification

-Raise your right elbow above shoulder level as you cross to the right by moving your left foot to twist and face your opponent.

-Bring right elbow down on opponents arm to break their hold.

-Upward right elbow to chin.

-Downward right elbow to spear chest.

-Right or left snap kick to groin.

Using the Bridge to Protect Your Neck in Kenpo

The Bridge is a maneuver for those attacked and choked from the back. There may be times when an opponent attempts to control your neck and head from the back and it is necessary to take evasive action in order to protect yourself. The key point is to gain some leverage and control over the opponent’s actions while forcing a take down or solid immobilization of the attack. 

Putting the hands up and grabbing the wrists of the opponent helps to ensure that they are not able to maneuver your body in any direction they desire. Where the neck and head goes the body generally follows. Grabbing the wrists offers the ability to leverage against being forced into certain positions. 

Immediately one should swing their right shoulder in and under while stepping behind their left foot while forcing the opponent’s left arm over and away from your head. This ensures that the opponent no longer has any control over your body. Likewise, the opponent is left in an awkward position where both their arms are crossed and their body is partially twisted reversing the mechanisms of control. 

Stepping forward will pushing their right arm into their left elbow creates a lock that forces them to fall down to avoid breaking their arm. Light pressure will force a take down while greater quick pressure will create a break. The opponent will fall in front of you leaving other maneuvers or escape possible. In Kenpo the code of honor is to remove oneself from the situation. 

Bridge A (Opponent has two handed choke hold from behind)

-In single motion grab both of opponent’s wrists with both hands (hand on each by reaching overhead).

-Bow your head and step off to the left.

-Step behind your left food with your right foot as you turn right creating a bridge (crossing of opponent’s arms). 

-Step forward with your right foot and break opponent’s arm (or force take down).

The video has many of the same components with the way in which I learned it. You can see the movement and some of the variations.

http://youtu.be/PPNQ4WiDHUs

Kenpo-Introducing the Dancer Move

There are occasions when an individual may attempt to choke you from behind. The Kenpo system is designed to provide maximum protection from varying types of attacks. These attacks may come from the front, side, multiple people, and even the back as dishonorable as that sounds. When an opponent decides to try and choke you from behind the dancer move can be quick and effective.

The dancer is just that…a dance! It flows in a circular manner to both loosen the grip as well as stun the opponent. The purpose of a fast groin hit is that it will often force the opponent to seek protection to his vital parts and release their grip. That momentum is then used to swing around and face the opponent to deliver an immobilizing kick. 

It is one of the easiest and simplest moves to use. Beginners often can get a feel of how the larger system works through this maneuver. Once the first strike is landed the opponent is likely to deflect backwards. This is one reason why the twist is used directly after the strike to capitalize on the overreaction.

Dancer A (Opponent has two hand choke hold from behind)

-Deliver left handed rear chop to the opponent’s groin with your left hand as you simultaneously move your left foot to the rear and behind your right foot. 

-Duck your head under the opponent’s arms as you spin to the left (unwinding your legs) and simultaneously giving a right handed reverse (upward) to the groin. 

-Spin to your left to again face opponent and deliver a snap kick with your right leg.

Kenpo: Strking Asp and Striking Snake Modifications

Striking Asp is a Kenpo move designed to pin the opponent’s arms while using your right arm to strike. It is quick and reversed momentum of the opponent while knocking them into a level of confusion making further attacks difficult. The defensive move doesn’t require a lot of skill and this is one of the reasons why it can be so effective during difficult situations. 

Keeping all actions within the right arm helps beginners to remember the sequence and maintain action throughout the process. As one gains skills they can use that arm in different ways when the opponent does unexpected movements or successfully blocks thereby breaking the sequence. This is an inherent benefit of learning both the traditional and modified moves.

At times the modified methods can be used with greater effectiveness. The names to do not always match up but they do resemble similarities in movements. We will call the two different, but similar moves, Striking Asp and Striking Snake. 

Striking Asp A (Opponent Grabs Both Lapels):

-Reach over the top of your opponent’s arms with your left hand and pin opponent’s left wrist with your left hand while stepping back with your left foot (Pin should be a cupping of the hand and not a grab). 

-Rotate hips to the right as you bring your right arm back and around to deliver a raking punch to opponent’s head. (Keep momentum after hit to bring fist close to left ear.)

-Deliver a back knuckle punch to opponent’s right temple. 

Striking Snake Modification (Opponent Grabs Both Lapels):

-Reach over the top of your opponent’s arms with your left hand and pin opponent’s left wrist with your left hand while stepping forward with your right foot (Pin should be a cupping of the hand and not a grab).

-Deliver right middle finger fist to opponent’s solar plexus.

-Bring right arm up and complete full inward block to clear opponent’s arms away from body.

-Deliver right handed chop to neck. 

-Right elbow to the left side of opponent’s head.