Kempo Principle: Breaking Balance

[Red J]

...give one example of a technique that you like to use to establish the balance war in your favor.

 

OK, here's another technique.

 

When doing a trap of the arm, you are first taught to execute the trap. Later you are taught to draw the arm into you (one direction), then either down or up (I like towards the my hip being down and two directions), and across (again the hip works for direction 3 as well. So you trap, and manipulate balance in three different directions resulting in an off balance opponent. These techniques can also be used to "spring" you into the opponent with tremendous power.

 

I hope that you can "see" a version of this technique as I am having a tough time putting this into words. Any other techniques that you want to share?

[delta1]

When doing a trap of the arm, you are first taught to execute the trap. Later you are taught to draw the arm into you (one direction), then either down or up (I like towards the my hip being down and two directions), and across (again the hip works for direction 3 as well. So you trap, and manipulate balance in three different directions resulting in an off balance opponent. These techniques can also be used to "spring" you into the opponent with tremendous power.

 

We do a lot of crane/frictional pulls which work like you describe. Not a grab, more like a hook and yank. And it generally pulls him into your simultaneouse strike. Key is to do the moves sharply and forcefully, and anchor the elbow of the pulling arm.

[Red J]

When doing a trap of the arm, you are first taught to execute the trap. Later you are taught to draw the arm into you (one direction), then either down or up (I like towards the my hip being down and two directions), and across (again the hip works for direction 3 as well. So you trap, and manipulate balance in three different directions resulting in an off balance opponent. These techniques can also be used to "spring" you into the opponent with tremendous power.

 

We do a lot of crane/frictional pulls which work like you describe. Not a grab, more like a hook and yank. And it generally pulls him into your simultaneouse strike. Key is to do the moves sharply and forcefully, and anchor the elbow of the pulling arm.

 

We call this a "Dragon Trap". It starts with a left knife hand parry and wrap followed by the right hand wrapping below (closer to you) and pulling.

[SevenStar]

"Actually, from what you kenpo guys have talked about, a lot of what we train in at my dojo sounds very similar to things that you all do"

 

that's the thing that really got me interested in kempo.

 

a little while back, delta1 wrote something that sounded to me exactly like wing chun.

 

the more he talked about it, the more similar they seemed

 

and here you are saying the same thing about shotokan.

 

In the grand scheme of things, MAs are the same. At the heart or every technique is a principle, and that prinicple is seen in most MAs, most likely. Good MA transcends stylistic differences.

[Red J]

Good MA transcends stylistic differences.

 

Well said.

 

So from our thread, how many of you are breaking balance in your first move in your defensive sets? Is it something that is stressed at first or saved for advanced students?

 

In my dojo this concept is constantly evolving with refinements of technique coming at each new level. Just when you think you know something, my sensei will add that little bit to make it better.

[delta1]

how many of you are breaking balance in your first move in your defensive sets? Is it something that is stressed at first or saved for advanced students? In my dojo this concept is constantly evolving with refinements of technique coming at each new level.

 

Same in AK. Initially, the focus is less on breaking his ballance than on maintining or reestablishingyours. But as you go deeper into the same techniques,you almost allways learn that while you were preserving your ballance, you are taking his. Sometimes this is more obviouse, other times it is in some of the finer details, and yet others it is in some of the modifications you can make. Like I said before- even a simple 'block', properly applied, can effect his ballance.

 

A lot of moves in AK are extracted from the techniques, just like bunkai in traditional forms. For example, we have a technique against a Chinese finger lock, which is applied from the side as the opponent steps around to your front. The defense is to step in, taking the angle away and simultaneously use his upward motion to carry his elbow over your shoulder and break it. But there are several locks which can be applied instead. One is to grab his wrist as you move into him more sideways, forcing your shoulder into his upper arm as you anchor your grabing elbow. You immediately put him over forward, stretched out and on his toes in a pretty unballanced position. You can also dislocate his shoulder and elbow.

[Drunken Monkey]

one of the other kung fu styles i have trained in treats balance in a very tai chi way.

 

it has as it's main principle, stillness (you) around which everything happens.

 

when you meet an opponent you aim to not move and instead have them move around you.

 

i.e the aim is to break balance before anything.

 

this was taught from day one before any striking was shown.

 

in fact, i would say that this is treated as the core of the style and is the thing that is practiced more than anything else.

[jarrettmeyer]

Good MA transcends stylistic differences.

 

I agree completely with Red J. Very well said.

So from our thread, how many of you are breaking balance in your first move in your defensive sets? Is it something that is stressed at first or saved for advanced students?

 

In what we've done so far, disrupting balance is the second move. There is a kick down on the knee, a hammer fist to the groin or jaw, etc, something to rattle your opponent as the first move. There's actually quite a bit of grappling in Goju Ryu. I know that Karate is a broad term, but I thought that Karate was much more of a striking skill set. We work on grappling about 1/4 of the time.

 

This is a few months into classes. Lessons begin with finding your own distance and balance, fighting on your terms, whatever those may be. Then they move to taking your opponent's balance.

[Red J]

I agree completely with Red J. Very well said.

 

Thanks. I have to highlight the fact that someone agrees with me because it doesn't happen that often!

[Pacificshore]

Good MA transcends stylistic differences.

 

Well said.

 

So from our thread, how many of you are breaking balance in your first move in your defensive sets? Is it something that is stressed at first or saved for advanced students?

 

In my dojo this concept is constantly evolving with refinements of technique coming at each new level. Just when you think you know something, my sensei will add that little bit to make it better.

In regards to oour self defense sets and the issue of breaking balance, I'd have to say that for the most part it comes as the second move, as well as the subsequent follow-up strikes. The first obviously is redirecting the initial attack.