Reversing Mace (EPAK Orange #19)

KenpoTech on July 6, 2010

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Reversing Mace is the 19th technique required to obtain your Orange Belt in Ed Parker’s American Kenpo. It is a defense against left step through punch from the front thus part of the Punches category in the Web of Knowledge and the Punches Family Group in the Family Groups Striking Division

In Reversing Mace you will move up the circle and employ the double factor principle in order to move out of your opponent’s line of attack as well as negate his ability to follow up with another strike. In your counter attack you will reverse the motion of your right arm’s defense turning it into an offensive maneuver and finally you will redistribute your weight as you pivot away from your attacker to provide ample support, range and power for your kick.

Defense

Reversing Mace – defense for a left straight punch.

  • Step 1
    • Slide your left foot toward 4:30 to form a right neutral bow stance facing 10:30,
    • Deliver a right inward parry to the back of your opponent’s left elbow,
    • Deliver a left vertical outward parry to the back of your opponent’s left elbow,
    • Execute a right outward back knuckle strike as you settle into your stance.
  • Step 2
    • Deliver a right inward downward looping roundhouse kick to the back of your opponent’s left knee.
  • Step 3
    • Without planting your foot, execute a right front crossover and cover out toward 4:30.

Additional Information

Name

With the Kenpo term ‘mace‘ used to represent the closed fist in conjunction with the use of reverse motion, by reversing your mace that you blocked with to deliver a counterstrike, you get the name Reversing Mace.

Attack

In the ideal phase your opponent is directly in front of you (12:00). Your opponent proceeds to step forward with his left foot as he delivers a left punch toward your face.

This attack does not necessarily have to be an active step through punch. Your opponent may be in a left neutral bow stance and throwing a left hand punch from this position.  With a left punch being most commonly used to set up another, more powerful, strike your it is important to negate your attacker’s ability to follow up.

Basics & Maneuvers

  • Left Reverse Step Through
  • Right Neutral Bow Stance
  • Right Inward Parry
  • Left Vertical Outward Parry
  • Right Outward Horizontal Back Knuckle Strike
  • Right Inward Downward Looping Roundhouse Kick
  • Right Fright Crossover
  • Cover Out

Targets

  • Back of the Left Elbow
  • Left Floating Ribs
  • Back of the Left Knee (Peroneal Nerve)

Concepts & Principles

  • Anchoring
  • Angle of Deflection
  • Angle of Deviation
  • Complementary Angle
  • Continuity
  • Double Factor
  • Opposite Motion
  • Pivoting
  • Positional Check
  • Reverse Motion
  • Upside of the Circle
  • Weight Distribution


Considerations

  • What if …
    • your opponent does not step through?
    • your opponent throws a roundhouse punch instead (hook punch)?
    • your opponent throws a right punch instead?
    • your opponent fakes with his left and follows with a right punch?
    • your opponent throws a left kick before his left punch?
    • your opponent follows his punch with a right outward spinning back knuckle strike?

Related Techniques

Historical Notes

  • In the 1975 Accumulative Journal, Reversing Mace was the 17th required technique for orange belt.
  • Prior to the 1975 Accumulative Journal a right snapping knife edge kick (side kick) was used to buckle the attacker’s left knee.
  • In the 1975 Accumulative Journal, instructs you to move your left foot toward 5:00 instead of 4:30
  • The 1975 Accumulative Journal has you defend with blocks
  • The 1975 Accumulative Journal indicates the Angle of Departure as 5:00
  • The 1987 IKKA Studio Manuals have you defend with parries

Historical Versions

1975 Accumulative Journal

REVERSING MACE (front straight left punch)

  1. From a right neutral bow, slide your left foot counter clockwise to 5 o’clock; simultaneously use a right inward and left vertical outward block outside of opponent’s left punch. Without any loss of motion, the right inward block continues and becomes a right horizontal outward back knuckle as it strikes to opponent’s left ribcage.
  2. Immediately shift your weight on to your left leg and delver a right looping downward roundhouse kick to back of opponent’s left knee complimenting the angle of your opponent’s thigh. (As this kick is executed, kick with the instep of your right foot and make sure that your right ankle is locked straight out.)
  3. Right front crossover and cover out to 4 o’clock.

Notes

Variations

Scraping Hoof (EPAK Orange #11)

KenpoTech on June 26, 2010

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Scraping Hoof is the 11th technique required to obtain your Orange Belt in Ed Parker’s American Kenpo. Scraping Hoof is the defense for an attempted Full Nelson placing it in the Hugs & Holds category of the Web of Knowledge as well as the Full Nelson Family Group in the Holds category of the Family Groups Grappling division.

Scraping Hoof teaches you how to use your feet for an effective defense when you are unable to use your arms. While it may seem initially that all of your dimensional zones are controlled, you learn that a simple shift in weight can open up an entire dimensional zone for attack, as evidenced when you drop your weight onto one leg allowing for an effective strike with the cocking action of the other.  This also introduces you to making targets of the feet and shin, giving you your first targets in the lowest of the dimensional height zones.

Defense

Scraping Hoof –  defense for an attempted full nelson.

  • Step 1
    • Cheat your left foot slightly towards the right forming a narrow horse stance,
    • Straighten your knees, back and neck into an upright position,
    • Drive both of your arms downward toward the ground, in front of your groin area,
    • Deliver a rear head butt to your opponent’s face.
  • Step 2
    • Continue pinning your opponents arms,
    • Slightly bend your left knee forming a right rear bow stance.
    • Deliver a right rear scooping heel kick to the inside of your opponent’s left knee.
  • Step 3
    • Immediately deliver a right knife edge kick to the inside of your opponent’s right knee,
    • Scrape your foot downward on your opponent’s right inner shin,
    • Plant your right foot down as you deliver a right downward foot stomp on to your opponent’s right instep.
  • Step 4
    • Continue pinning your opponents arms,
    • Slightly bend your right knee forming a left rear bow stance.
    • Deliver a left rear scooping heel kick to the inside of your opponent’s right knee.
  • Step 5
    • Immediately deliver a left knife edge kick to the inside of your opponent’s left knee.
    • Scrape your foot downward on your opponent’s left inner shin,
    • Plant your left foot down as you deliver a left downward foot stomp to your opponent’s left instep (keep your left foot here).
  • Step 6
    • Continue pinning your opponent’s left arm,
    • Step toward 11:00 with your right foot
    • Pivot counter clockwise into a left neutral bow stances facing 6:00
  • Step 7
    • Release your pin
    • Left crossover and cover out toward 12:00

Additional Information

Name

The name Scraping Hoof comes from the scraping action your foot, represented by the term hoof, makes against your opponent’s legs.

Attack

In the ideal phase your opponent is directly behind you (6:00) and is attempting to complete a full nelson hold on you.

Scraping Hoof is for a defense against an ‘attempted’ full nelson. This is important to remember, because across all of the various sources some will say full nelson while others will say attempted full nelson.  This technique could work for a full nelson, but it requires that you a few small tweaks which you will learn in another technique (think equation formula).

A full nelson isn’t a lock that you want to stay in. At minimum, it will cause pain and expose you for another attacker.  On a more serious level it can cause loss of consciousness, severe spinal injuries and even death.  The longer you are in a hold like this the higher the risk of a severe injury. You should react to get out of this hold immediately.

Basics & Maneuvers Used

  • Rear Head Butt Strike
  • Right Rear Bow Stance
  • Right Rear Side Scooping Heel Kick
  • Right Thrusting Knife Edge Kick
  • Right Downward Stomp Kick
  • Left Rear Bow Stance
  • Left Rear Side Scooping Heel Kick
  • Left Thrusting Knife Edge Kick
  • Left Downward Stomp Kick

Targets

  • Face
  • Fingers
  • Left Inner Knee
  • Right Inner Knee
  • Right Shin
  • Right Instep
  • Left Shin
  • Left Instep
  • Left Elbow

Concepts & Principles Taught

  • Angle of Alignment
  • Angle of Departure
  • Angle of Disturbance
  • Cheat
  • Checking
  • Contouring
  • Detaining Check
  • Distraction
  • Hugging Pin
  • Marriage of Gravity
  • Opposing Forces
  • Path of Action
  • Pinning
  • Pinning Check
  • Rebounding Strike
  • Reverse Marriage of Gravity
  • Scraping
  • Torque


Considerations

  • What if …
    • your opponent complete’s the full nelson?
    • your opponent’s grip is not broken?
    • your opponent has bent you over, forcing your head down?
    • your opponent lifts you off your feet?
    • your opponent has you in a half nelson (one arm full nelson)?
    • you are forced against the wall?
    • you are being attacked from the front while in the full nelson?

Related Techniques

  • Captured Twigs
  • Parting Wings
  • Bow of Compulsion
  • Repeated Devastation
  • Twirling Sacrifice
  • Entwined Lance

Historical Notes

  • In the 1975 Accumulative Journal, Scraping Hook was Orange Belt Technique #9
  • The 1975 Accumulative Journal ends with the left heel stomp and does not indicate an angle of departure.

Historical Versions

1975 Accumulative Journal

SCRAPING HOOF (full Nelson)

  1. While in a full Nelson, thrust both of your fists toward the ground as you straighten your knees, back, and neck.
  2. Immediately bend your left knee (marriage of gravity) as you deliver a right back side scooping heel kick to opponent’s left inside knee. Then with the knife-edge of your right foot, kick to opponent’s right shin and scrape the shin on the way down and stomp opponent’s right instep with the heel of your right foot.
  3. Repeat the same process on the left side remembering to utilize the principle of gravitational marriage while executing both of your stomps.

Unfinished Ed Parker Orange Belt Manual

SCRAPING HOOF (Full Nelson)

  1. While in a Full Nelson, thrust both of your fists toward the ground (to help free you from your opponent’s grasp, and to pin his arms to your body). Simultaneously with this action cheat your left foot toward your right foot, as you straighten your knees, back, and neck into a full upright position. (Here, the intent is to have your opponent focus his attention on your arms and the pressure applied to your neck.)
  2. Immediately have your left knee bend (REVERSE MARRIAGE OF GRAVITY) as you deliver a right back side scooping heel kick to your opponent’s left inner knee. Then, execute a right knife-edge kick to your opponent’s right shin and follow through with a scraping stomp to his right shin, and instep. (This sequence of action should buckle your opponent’s legs as well as move his legs outward.)
  3. Repeat movement number two to the left side.
  4. Step with your right foot to 11:00 and left front crossover, covering out toward 10:30.

Notes

Variations

  • Foot maneuvers are done right side only
    • Many schools teach the foot maneuvers on the right side only.  Doing so is incorrect and is not the official version of this technique.   The reason for this is often because instructors mix up the Orange Belt version of this technique with the 1st Brown Belt version.  In the 1st Brown version, the foot maneuvers are done on the right side only as you are going to immediately follow through with the extension.
  • The torquing of your opponent’s elbow at the end is skipped
    • Sometimes this is just outright skipped and other times it is skipped along with the left side maneuvers.
    • The impact of this is that despite the pain your attacker should be in at this point, you are failing to control all of your opponent’s dimensional zones before departing.
      • As you pivot counterclockwise torquing your opponent’s elbow he will pivot in a clockwise direction. This counter rotation of your opponent, along with your left foot still on your opponent’s foot will control all zones of protection (height, width, depth) and neutralize both his arms and his legs.