Crossing Talon (EPAK Orange #13)

Crossing Talon is the 13th technique required to obtain your Orange Belt in Ed Parker’s American Kenpo. Crossing Talon is the defense for a right cross wrist grab placing it in the Grabs & Tackles category of the Web of Knowledge and the Wrist Grabs family group in the Grabs category of the Grappling division.

Crossing the Talon is defense against a right hand cross wrist grab (to your right wrist).  This technique uses a wide variety of checks most of which are parts of an offensive move. For example the action of placing your opponent in the arb bar serves as a cross check, pulling check, pushing check and detaining check all at once.  In Crossing Talon you will use use the force of your entire body when striking and you will learn  how to use a series of checks or strikes in one continuous flow

Defense

Crossing Talon – defense for a right hand cross grab.

• Step 1
  • Raising your forearm as if you were doing a right vertical outward block, counter grab your opponent’s right wrist in a clockwise direction with your right hand,
  • Step toward 1:30 with your left foot to form a left neutral bow stance in front of your opponent’s right leg,
  • Deliver a left thrusting forearm strike behind your opponent’s right elbow.
• Step 2
  • Settle deeper into your left neutral bow stance
  • Pull your opponent’s right wrist across your body, in toward and past your right hip,
  • Keeping your left elbow anchored push forward and down against your opponent’s right elbow with your left forearm
• Step 3
  • Align your left elbow by bringing your left hand toward your chest and sliding your forearm on top of your opponents right elbow,
  • Deliver a left outward elbow strike to your opponent’s right temple or jaw.
• Step 4
  • Continue your outward motion
  • Deliver a left heel palm strike to your opponent’s face,
  • Execute a five-finger rip to your opponent’s face.
• Step 5
  • Deliver a left inward overhead downward elbow strike to your opponent’s spine.
  • Drop your weight into a left wide kneel stance.
• Step 6
  • Execute left downward heel palm strike to the base of your opponent’s skull.
  • Deliver a right upward knee kick to your opponent’s face, planting back toward 4:30
• Step 7
  • Left front crossover and cover out toward 6:00.

Additional Information

Name

In American Kenpo the term ‘Talon” is synonymous with a wrist grab.  In Crossing Talon, your opponent is crossing his body, to grab your opposite wrist, thus executing a Crossing Wrist Grab.  Hence the name Crossing Talon.

Attack

The ideal phase of attack puts your opponent directly in front of you. He reaches diagonally across his body and grabs the inside portion of your right wrist — his palm against your inner wrist – the backs of both of your hands facing outward.

As with any other type of grab the most common uses are to intimidate, control, manipulate or set up for a followup attack.  Grabs are often the result of an argument but can and do come as a surprise attack.  Wrist grabs, in particular, are a very common type of grab in that they serve to control one of your natural weapons, often adding a notion of confidence to the aggressor.

Considerations

• What if …
  • Your opponent grabs you from the top (palm down)?
  • Your opponent grabs you from underneath (palm up)?
  • your opponent pulls you forward (or into a punch)?
  • your opponent grabs your wrist with two hands?
  • you do not have the strength to life your right arm in the first move?
  • Your opponent grabs your shirt (or right lapel)?
  • Your opponent grabs your belt (or lower shirt)?

Related Techniques

• The Grasp of Death
• Mace of Aggression
• Striking Serpent’s Head
• Twirling Wings
• Circling Wing
• Darting Mace
• Obstructing the Storm
• Returning Storm
• Gripping Talon
• Desperate Falcons
• Reversing Circles

Historical Notes

• In the 1975 Accumulative Journal, Crossing Talon was Orange Belt Technique Requirement #11
• The 1975 Accumulative Journal has you step toward 1:00 on the initial step.
• The 1987 Studio Manuals indicate 4:30 as the Angle of Departure

Historical Versions

1975 Accumulative Journal

CROSSING TALON (front right cross wrist grab)

1. With opponent’s right hand grabbing your right wrist, counter grab his wrist as your left foot steps forward and to your right to 1 o’clock) into a left neutral bow simultaneously striking opponent’s right elbow with your left forearm in a forward thrusting motion while your right hand pulls in toward and past your right hip.
2. Continue to push and pull opponent’s arm to your right forcing opponent’s head down with the possibility of your opponent’s head striking your left knee.
3. Immediately deliver a left side elbow strike (palm up or down depending on circumstance) to opponents right jaw hinge followed by a left heel palm strike and five-finger rip to opponents face.
4. Circle your left arm clockwise and strike down with your left elbow striking to upper spine of opponent.
5. Follow-up with a left downward heel palm strike to back of opponent’s left mastoid. As your left hand continues to push down simultaneously deliver a right knee kick to opponent’s face, causing a sandwiching effect.
6. Replant your right foot to original position.

Unfinished Orange Belt Manual by Ed Parker

CROSSING TALON (Front right cross wrist grab)

1. With your opponent’s right hand grabbing your right wrist, (1) countergrab his right wrist with your right hand as (2) your left foot steps toward 1:30 (traveling in front of your opponent) into a left neutral bow, as (3) you strike your opponent’s right elbow with a left inward vertical forearm, while (4) your right hand pulls in, toward, and past your right hip. (The effect of this action is to sprain or break your opponent’s right elbow, and force him to bend over, which automatically checks his Height Zones.)
2. Continue to pull your opponent’s arm to your right while using your left forearm to force your opponent’s head down and possibly striking your left knee.
3. Immediately deliver a left outward elbow strike (palm up or down depending on circumstance) to your opponent’s right jaw hinge or temple. (This action may cause your opponent to pass out and drop toward the ground.)
4. Immediately follow-up with a left heel palm strike and five-finger rip to your opponent’s face while using your opponent’s shoulder and back as a fulcrum to leverage, contour, check, and enhance your action. Continue your left arm clockwise circle and execute a left inward overhead downward elbow strike to your opponent’s upper spine. (This action should cause your opponent’s body to bow toward the ground.)
5. Follow up with a left downward heel palm strike to the back of your opponent’s left mastoid. As your left hand continues to push your opponent’s head down, simultaneously deliver a right knee strike to your opponent’s face, thus causing a sandwiching effect. (Your opponent should fall to the ground.)
6. Replant your right foot to its POINT OF ORIGIN. Left front crossover, covering out toward 4:30.

Notes

Variations

There are several variations to this technique in the Tracy Kenpo Systems, under the same name