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STRATEGIC DEFENSE
Author: Ted Mancuso
As the story goes, a kenpo instructor went hunting with a friend. After a few hours, the friend brought down a deer, but the men couldnt be sure if it was a clean kill or not. They went to inspect the animal, and the friend knelt down for a closer look. Suddenly the deer lashed out in its death throes and slammed a hoof into the hunters throat, killing him instantly. Needless to say, the kenpo instructor never forgot the incident. He was haunted by the message that even in victory, you can be defeated if you dont cover yourself.
MECHANICS OF CHECKING
That story does not illustrate the beginning of kenpos emphasis on checking skills, but it does demonstrate why they are profoundly important to students of the art. Checking operates in accord with Newtons Third Law of Motion, which holds that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. You probably utilize this principle all the timefor example, when you pull back one hand while punching with the other.
The pulling augments the strike, and thats fine when you are practicing alone. But consider the following: An assailant punches at you. You sidestep, block the punch and strike his ribs while withdrawing your blocking arm to gain the power promised by Newton. Unfortunately, there is another equal and opposite reactionnamely, the force of your punch making the opponent throw out his arms, either purposefully or reflexively, and whack you in the head.
The solution is obvious: Dont withdraw your non-punching hand. Keep it in position to check your opponents arm as you strike back. You may sacrifice the extra power of the withdrawal, but thats a small price to pay for not being hit. And you can always use other methods to recoup the lost force.
CHECKING VS. BLOCKING
People tend to think in simple terms: Blocking is a form of defense, so all defensive motions are some form of blocking. But when you examine most defenses, youll see that they break down into three simple possibilities, each of which uses less force than the previous: Block: a forceful defensive action that stops an attack and may have a counterattack component.
Parry: a redirecting action that ģhelpsī an attack along its path but makes it miss its target.
Evasion: a movement that takes you out of the way of an attack.
You are free to mix and match defenses. For instance, you can evade as you parry. However, you still will not be using a checking skill because, technically speaking, checking is the countering of a movement before it becomes an identifiable strike. In other words, a check stops an assailant before he can even start his attack.
BEST OPTIONS
The following are four of the most effective ways kenpo teaches students to execute a checking-hands maneuver: Active Check: It involves simply laying your checking hand over your opponents limb. For instance, he throws a right punch, and you block it while checking his left punch which he had probably planned as his next attackwith your right hand. You can then simultaneously deliver a left strike to his face.
Position Check: The opponent throws a right punch, and you block it on the inside using your right hand. You simultaneously raise your left hand into a cover hand that is positioned near your right shoulder. If he attempts to throw a high left punch, your check can intercept it and allow yourself a bit of time to duck. If he attempts a low left shot to your ribs, your right (anchored) elbow is already in position to close that line of approach.
Drag or Friction Check: Dont misinterpret checks as just frozen hand motions, for they can be very lively. For instance, you toss a right hand at your opponent, and he blocks it with his left hand. Before he even thinks about it, you wipe down the length of his arm while driving forward with a left palm strike. You have used the friction check to prevent his strike and aid your counter.
Pinning Check: Your opponent grabs your lapels with both hands. Rather than try to disengage from him, you cover and pin his arms with your left hand while you strike his solar plexus. The pinning check ensures that his limbs stay where they are, at least for a while, and it can be a perfect lead-in for a follow-up technique.
OTHER CHECKING METHODS
Leg Checks: Probably the simplest pinning check is stepping on your opponents foot. Not only is it effective to prevent backward motion, but it also wreaks havoc with potential kicks. The best part is it requires less skill than many other lower-limb checks.
Locking Checks: The foot bone is connected to the ankle bone, and the ankle is a perfect place for a locking check.
Your inner ankle can be used like a ratchet to fit and turn your opponents foot while your shin and knee drive in the opposite direction. The torque can be amazing.
Off-Balancing Checks: The simple knee check can be used to break an opponents balance. It involves a gentle but persistent pressure from your knee directed against your opponents knee. Not only does it effectively stop a kick from either leg, but it can also instantly be transformed into a knee-buckling technique when the situation calls for it.
Body Checks: They are similar to their football counterparts in that virtually any part of your bodyhip, shoulder, torso, etc.can be used to check your opponent. Although they offer tremendous power and authority, you must get rather close to your opponent to use them.
NEXT LEVEL
There are almost as many ways to apply checks as there are to deliver strikes, but the essence of the study of checking might be called ģsecond-level thinking.ī It exists in contrast to ģfirst-level thinking,ī wherein you block or punch with only that action in mind at the time. As you gain experience and develop confidence, you will want to prevent further attacks from happening, and that is where second-level thinking begins. It enables you to not only halt the immediate problem, but also to thwart your opponents next attempt sometimes before he evens starts it.
Think of checking as an insurance policy that protects you if he tries a counterattack. Perhaps the hand that you have lightly rested on his sleeve wont stop all possible strikes from every angle, but at least it will prevent him from attacking without warning.
What makes kenpos approach to checking different from that of other arts is its skillful and gradual method for introducing the associated principles. At first, you learn how to execute a movement just as every other martial artist does. Once you attain a certain level of competence, the ģdead handī that you had kept cocked at your hip is placed in a cover position that guards your torso.
Next, you learn movements that require active participation of the dead handsuch as pinning and grabbing techniques. Then you are taught to use that hand to perform strikes and manipulations, including flicking and slicing actions that dont require extreme power. Next, your backup hand is coupled with your primary hand, and they share power as they execute simultaneous block-and-punch sequences. At the penultimate stage, your other hand is completely active, executing its own strikes along its own angles. Finally, you practice the techniques using your non-dominant hand, thus training your entire body as a lethal weapon. ...
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