Kenpo 5 Swords - Help

[delta1]

[For those watching at home, I train with opnek and recently learned 5 swords myself].

 

If you two are in the LTKKA, you are in one of the best! I've corresponded directly with some of the Tatum crew, and I have to say they are knowlegable in the system.

Mr. P taught it as as you're uppercutting, your left hand is brought back to your chest. Then after the uppercut, your right [punching] hand swings out to check their left hand, and your left hand now does a sword-hand to their collar bone as you do the shuffle/slide of your left foot back to 4:30, then your checking right-hand continues it's motion in a circle to come down on the side/base/back of the attacker's neck.

 

I believe the "book" version instead of doing the handsword to the collar-bone, goes behind the attackers neck [palm-out] and pulls their head down for the handsword [hammerfist?] to the base of the neck.

 

I'm not going to argue over which is better. I can see advantages to both.

 

As for getting the shuffle down, I too had a really hard time with it. It honestly just took me going over it repeatedly, every day before it finally became something I was comfortable with.

 

There are a lot of different ways of teaching most of these techniques. In fact, Mr. Parker taught different versions to different people, as AK was meant to be adjusted to fit the practitioner. Whatever base method you are taught, learn it in the Ideal Phase with all the checks and chambers that don't seem to make sense. Later, those become more of a flow through rather than a distinct move. An uninformed observer would not even know they were there. A lot of times, those points are also places where you might have several options, or where you may have to change up to deal with his attack. For example, as you uppercut that left check may have to parry or block a strike; or, if he turns away, it may have to simultaneously strike his shoulder to keep him in position.

 

As you progress through the What If and Formulation phases, you will become more proficient at different variations. For example, the strike to the neck after the uppercut is good to cause pain and stun him as you move to the crane. But the strike done to the collar bone is good if he's a little out of position and you need to square him up some. And if your position is off a little, the wide kneel discussed earlier might be good to square you up a little.

 

 

PS. To those others listening. Mr. P [our instructor] used Kenpo in his 11 years on the police force. As such he has had real-world experience in what did and didn't work on the street, so he makes modifications to some of the techniques. My opinion is that some of the changes make sense and some don't to me, but I respect his experience enough to learn both ways and decide for myself which I am comfortable with.

 

Learn it his way, as he's trying to pass on some of his real world experience to you. Just understand that these techniques were meant to teach practical use of basics, principles, and concepts. They teach us to move correctly under the force of a violent assault. They are not meant as a rote response in the Ideal phase, which is why we have borrowing, technique flow, and the Formulation Phase of learning. They teach you an intuitive method of thought as much as anything.

[delta1]

OK. I worked this a little mor tonight with a couple of partners. Turning the head not only gives you that deep pocket to penetratr into, but it can open up some other interesting targets as well.

 

The wide kneel I found did not so much square you up as it improved you angle of incidence in some cases. Also, it gets you down in a better position if he bends too far over.

 

Both are great changups. Thanks for the info.

[opnek]

Wow! Im glad this post turned in to such a knowledge share

 

God bless the internet.

 

Unless you work in the industry, and then god d**n the internet

[parkerlineage]

Indeed I shall.

Well, you show an attitude of respect and a good understanding for 16. Stay with it, and never loose that attitude or the sense of awe in the art!

 

Thank you very much! I try to be as mature about it as I can; I'm much younger than anybody close to my rank in the dojo I go to.