Snapping Twig (EPAK Purple #2)

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Snapping Twig is the 2nd required technique to obtain your purple belt in Ed Parker’s American Kenpo. Snapping Twig is a defense against a left hand direct push from the front, placing it in the Pushes category of the Web of Knowledge as well as the Pushes Family Group in the family groups striking division.

Snapping Twig places a heavy emphasis on Opposing Forces which can be found in all but the last step.  The technique starts off by using opposing forces to create a fulcrum effect that negates and attacks your opponent’s primary weapon.  Next we use opposing forces by counter manipulating our opponent with a frictional pull and borrowing that force as we deliver our strike. Finally we use opposing forces to sandwich our opponent between two two simultaneous strikes.

Defense

Snapping Twig – defense for a left push.

  • Step 1
    • Step back toward 6:00 with your left foot to form a right neutral bow stance facing 12:00.
    • Deliver a left inward hooking heel palm strike to the inside of your opponent’s left wrist, pinning their left hand to your chest.
    • Deliver a right inward hooking heel palm strike to the outside of your opponent’s left elbow.
  • Step 2
    • Hook over over top of your opponent’s left arm with a right crane hand,
    • Shuffle forward (push-drag) toward 12:00,
    • Pull your opponent’s left arm downward and past your right hip,
    • Deliver a left thrusting handsword strike to the left side of your opponent’s neck.
  • Step 3
    • Continue the motion of your right arm in a counter clockwise direction,
    • Left hand maintains either a detaining check on your opponent’s neck or a sliding check down your opponent’s left arm,
    • Deliver a right inward downward diagonal raking hammerfist strike across the bridge of your opponent’s nose.
  • Step 4
    • Continue the counter clockwise motion of your right arm,
    • Shuffle forward (push-drag) toward 12:00,
    • Deliver a left inward horizontal heel palm strike to the right side of your opponent’s jaw,
    • Deliver a right inward horizontal elbow strike to the left side of your opponent’s jaw.
  • Step 5
    • Right front crossover and cover out toward 7:30.

Additional Information

Name

In American Kenpo the term twig is used to represent the arm. In this technique your initial moves create a snapping effect on opponent’s left twig (arm) by hyper-extending the elbow, thus giving us the name Snapping Twig.

Attack

In the ideal phase your attacker is directly in front of you (12:00). He then proceeds to step forward with his left foot while pushing to your chest with his left hand.

A push is often stems from a verbal confrontation. Single arm pushes are usually meant to intimidate or knock the target off balance in preparation for a followup strike with the opposite arm. A technique like Snapping Twig aims to cancel any followup strikes in the initial move.

Basics & Maneuvers

  • Left Reverse Step Through
  • Right Neutral Bow Stance
  • Left Inward Horizontal Heel Palm Strike
  • Right Inward Horizontal Heel Palm Strike
  • Right Forward Bow Stance
  • Right Hooking Crane Head Strike
  • Left Outward Thrusting Handsword Strike
  • Right Neutral Bow Stance
  • Right Inward Downward Diagonal Raking Back Knuckle Strike
  • Forward Push-Drag Maneuver (Shuffle)
  • Left Inward Horizontal Heel Palm Strike
  • Right Inward Horizontal Elbow Strike

Targets

  • Inside Left Wrist
  • Outside Left Elbow
  • Left Side of the Neck (Brachial Plexus)
  • Bridge of the Nose
  • Left Jaw
  • Right Jaw

Concepts & Principles

  • Anchor
  • Angle of Cancellation
  • Angle of Disturbance
  • Backup Mass
  • Body Momentum
  • Borrowed Force
  • Continuity of Motion
  • Counter Manipulation
  • Frictional Pull
  • Fulcrum
  • Opposing Forces
  • Orbital Adjustment
  • Point of Origin
  • Rounding the Corners
  • Sandwiching
  • Sliding Check
  • Solidify your Base
  • Wrenching


Considerations

  • What if …
    • your opponent steps forward with his right foot?
    • your opponent pushes you with both hands?
    • your opponent grabs you and pulls you with his left hand?
    • your opponent follows the push with a right punch?
    • you are unable to straighten your opponent’s arm on the initial strike?

Related Techniques

Historical Notes

  • Snapping Twig was Purple belt technique #4 in the 1975 Accumulative Journal
  • The 1975 Accumulative Journal does not have you shuffle with the left heel palm strike and right inward horizontal elbow to the jaw.

Historical Versions

1975 Accumulative Journal

SNAPPING TWIG (front left hand chest push)

  1. Standing with feet together, drop back with your left foot (to 6 o’clock) into a right neutral bow as you simultaneously hook in (to your left) with the heel of your right palm to outside of opponent’s left elbow joint while hooking In (to your right) with the heel of your left palm to inside of opponent’s left inner wrist (utilizing opposing forces) to cause an elbow break.
  2. Have your right hand (while forming the shape of the crane) hook opponent’s left arm counter clockwise and out (to your right) while simultaneously executing a left thrusting chop (palm down) directly to the throat of your opponent; this is done as you shuffle forward with a push drag maneuver. Without any loss of motion continue the counter clockwise motion of your right hand so that the knuckles of that hand executes an inward diagonal rake across the bridge of opponent’s nose in order to cause a break.
  3. Continue the same counter clockwise motion of your right arm and execute a right inward horizontal elbow strike to opponent’s left jaw as your left heel of palm strikes to opponent’s right jaw thus creating a sandwiching effect.

Notes

  • While this technique is for a left hand chest push, it is often incorrectly taught as a push to the right shoulder.  The technique works for a push to the right shoulder but the attack in the ideal phase calls for a push to the chest.

Variations

  • Step 2 is also taught with a clockwise pivot into a forward bow stance instead of a shuffle forward as the pulling downward of your opponent’s arm should bring them into proper striking range for your next move.
    • If you pivot clockwise into a right forward bow stance on step 2 then you must pivot counter clockwise into a right neutral bow stance on step 3
    • Keep in mind some of the following about the shuffle forward;
      • The shuffle will close the gap for the next strike in the event that you are unable to pull them enough with the hooking crane head.
      • The shuffle forward adds body momentum and backup mass to the power equation as you catapult your body forward.
      • It allows you to check/buckle your opponent’s knee.
    • Keep in mind some of the following about the pivots;
      • If your opponent stepped in far enough during the attack, the shift into a right forward bow can also serve to check/buckle the knee.
      • The pivot in the opposite direction of the handsword strike will speed up the execution of the handsword strike
      • Torque is generated and released for the raking hammerfist strike in step 3.
  • Step 4 is sometimes split into two distinct steps with pivoting clockwise at the waist or into a right forward bow with the left heel palm strike as step 1 followed by shuffling forward with the right inward horizontal elbow strike being the second.
    • This “may” stem from when this technique was on the orange belt sheet, thus a beginner level technique, to simplify the moves for novice students. With purple belt being an intermediate level in the 24 technique system there is no reason to not expect students to be able to double strike at this stage.
  • In Step 4, the shuffle forward is sometimes omitted as you will notice in the 1975 Accumulative Journal version.  As with step 2 it will assist in closing the gap as your back knuckle strike if executed properly and with force could put them out of range but it also adds another power building dimension to the strikes at this step.

Lone Kimono (EPAK Orange #7)

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Lone Kimono is the 7th technique required to obtain your orange belt in Ed Parker’s American Kenpo. Lone Kimono is for a left hand lapel grab to your right lapel, placing it in the Grabs & Tackles category of the Web of Knowledge as well as the Shoulder & Lapel Family Group in the Grabs category of the Family Groups Grappling division.

Lone Kimono will teach you how to defend against a very common grab and you will find that its overall theme is very similar to Clutching Feathers (Orange 1), showing that multiple attacks may be defended against with similar principles or variations of them.  You will make use of counter manipulation, fulcruming, pinning and the angle of cancellation to maximize the effect of this technique.

Defense

Lone Kimono – defense for a left hand grab to your right lapel.

  • Step 1
    • Pin the opponent’s left hand to your chest with your left hand,
    • Step back with your left foot toward 6:00 to form a right neutral bow stance,
    • Deliver a right upward forearm strike (upward block) under your opponent’s left arm at the elbow.
  • Step 2
    • Circle your arm counterclockwise and deliver an inward downward diagonal forearm strike to your opponent’s left arm.
    • Left hand checks high.
  • Step 4
    • Deliver a right upward outward diagonal snapping handsword strike to your opponent’s throat.
  • Step 5
    • Crossover and cover out toward 7:30.

Additional Information

Name

The name Lone Kimono stems directly from the attack itself.  Lone is referencing the single hand grab to the lapel which is represented by the term Kimono, which is a traditional Japanese garment.

Attack

The ideal phase will put the attacker directly in front of you. Your opponent will step forward with his left foot as he grabs your shirt/jacket with his left hand and straightens his arm.

This type of attack is very common in an argument often used as a means to control, intimidate or move you. It is quite common that this attack is followed by a push, pull or punch so it is important to respond quickly to mitigate any extra danger.

Basics & Maneuvers Used

  • Left Reverse Step Through
  • Right Neutral Bow Stance
  • Right Upward Block
  • Right Inward Downward Diagonal Forearm Strike
  • Right Outward Upward Diagonal Handsword Strike

Targets

  • Left Elbow
  • Left Wrist
  • Throat (Trachea)

Concepts & Principles Taught

  • Anchoring
  • Angle of Cancellation
  • Checking
  • Clearing
  • Counter Manipulation
  • Dimensional Zone Concept
  • Frictional Pull
  • Fulcruming
  • Gravitational Marriage
  • Leverage
  • Pinning Check
  • Pivot Point
  • Reverse Body Momentum
  • Rounding the Corners
  • Squeegee Principle
  • Torque
  • Upside of the Circle


Considerations

  • What if …
    • your opponent pulls you toward him?
    • your opponent throws a right punch before you pin his hand?
    • your opponent throws a right punch after you pin his hand?
    • your opponent grabs you with his right arm?
    • you cannot step back?

Related Techniques

Historical Notes

  • In the 1975 Accumulative Journal, Lone Kimono was Orange Belt Technique #6
  • The 1975 Accumulative Journal does not indicate an Angle of Departure.

Historical Variations

1975 Accumulative Journal

LONE KIMONO (front left hand lapel grab)

  1. Standing naturally, step back (to 6 o’clock) with your left foot when your opponent grabs your lapel with his left hand. Simultaneously pin his left hand to your chest with your left hand and deliver a right upward strike against his left elbow just above the Joint thus causing the elbow to break as you pivot into a right neutral bow.
  2. Then circle your right arm over and down (counter clockwise) with an inward-downward strike against opponent’s left forearm. Make sure that your opponent’s left arm is driven down and diagonally to your left.
  3. After cocking your right hand slightly toward you with your right palm up, deliver a right outward chop to the right side of opponent’s neck; stance throughout is still  a right neutral bow. Cock your left hand at your solar plexus, ready to check when needed.

Infinite Insights Into Kenpo, Vol 5, page 110 – First printing, June 1987

LONE KIMONO (Front left hand lapel grab)

  1. Standing naturally, step back toward 6 o’clock with your left foot into a right neutral bow (facing 12:00). Simultaneously pin your opponent’s left hand to your chest with your left hand as you deliver a right upward forearm strike against your opponent’s left elbow (slightly above the joint) to cause an elbow break or sprain.
  2. Then circle your right arm over and down (counter clockwise) with a diagonal inward-downward strike against your opponent’s left forearm. Finish with your right palm up “with” your left hand checking high.  Make sure that your opponent’s left arm is driven down and diagonally to your left.
  3. Your opponent is now coming down and toward 7:00. Round the corner as you strike with a right snapping outward handsword to the right side of your opponent’s neck.  Keep your left hand checking the neutral zone.
  4. Right front crossover, covering out between 7:00 and 8:00.

Note:  Although beginning students are not required to do more than step 3, intermediate students are required to continue the sequence by executing step 4.  Examine the relevance of this precautionary maneuver.

Unfinished Orange Belt Manual by Ed Parker

LONE KIMONO (Front left hand lapel grab)

  1. Standing naturally, step back toward 6 o’clock with your left foot into a right neutral bow (facing 12:00). Simultaneously (1) pin your opponent’s left hand to your chest, as you (2) rotate your left hand clockwise to expose and properly position his left elbow, while (3) delivering a right upward forearm strike against his left elbow just above the joint to cause the elbow to break. (This action may cause your opponent to rise up on the tips of his toes.)
  2. Immediately circle your right arm counterclockwise (over and down) and convert it into an inward-downward strike to your opponent’s left forearm. Complete this strike with your right palm up, and your left hand checking high. Make sure that your opponent’s left arm is driven diagonally and down to your left. (This move should now cancel your opponent’s Width and Height Zones.)
  3. With your action forcing your opponent’s head and body down and toward 7:30, ROUND OFF THE CORNER with your right hand and immediately execute a right snapping outward handsword strike to the right side of your opponent’s neck. Be sure to maintain a left hand check in the NEUTRAL ZONE.
  4. Right front crossover, covering out toward 7:30.

Notes

Variation