IKCA Orange Belt Techniques

My notes from watching the video. All errors and misunderstandings are mine own.

Thunder and Lightning

• Defense versus a left step through hooking punch.  It's very much like Sword of Destruction from EPAK.
• Step back and solidify into a right neutral bow and block the punch from the inside with an extended outward block (right arm).  Be sure to move your left arm to checking position for safety.
• Transition back to a right cat stance and then kick the attacker's groin with a right front ball kick.
• As he bends forward from the kick, plant forward in a right neutral bow and right vertical punch to the face, timing the punch with the stance to maximize back up mass transfer.

Escaping Ram

• Defense vs. a rear bear hug with arms trapped.
• From the trapped position, rear head butt the attack.  This will distract the attacker and possibly open up your hips, pelvis forward, for the next move.
• Butt bump the attacker to free yourself.
• Depending on the distance now between you and the attacker, you may need to take an adjustment step forward away or back towards to connect with a right back heel kick.  The target is whatever is open:  groin, torso, or chin.

Returning Serpent

• Defense vs. a right step through punch
• Step back into right neutral bow and perform a right arm looping inward block, using a continuous circle to intercept the punch and then backfist attacker in the face.
• Pivot to a right forward bow and with your right hand checking, vertical punch with your left fist to the rib area.
• Counter rotate back to a right neutral bow and backfist the face again with the right hand. 

Thrusting Release

• Defense vs. front bear hug with your arms trapped
• Using the hard part of your head (edge of crown) head butt forward trying to strike the nose or cheek bones.  Drop your weight as you do this to gain a better effect and also to set you up for the next move.
• Knee his groin with your right leg and bring your arms up to ready position for the next strike.
• Strike with double heel palms to his floating ribs.  Mr. Leroux noted on the tape that you are using opposite forces to power this strike.  He was thrusting his right leg back and pushing off it to generate this force.
• Finish with a right front ball kick to the groin and plant in a right neutral bow.

Deflecting Thunder

• Defense vs. right step through front kick 
• Step back into left neutral bow to 4:30 (Mr. Leroux says 5:00 on tape).  Left low block to the inside of the leg.
• Moving your left hand up to torso area as a basic check, execute a right step through front ball kick to the groin.
• Plant into a right neutral bow and right inward elow to the jawline.

Beheading the Dragon

• Defense vs. a left step through punch
• Step back into a right neutral bow and perform a right inward block to the outside of his arm above the elbow.
• Check his arm with your left arm as you uncoil and strike his ribs with a raking back knuckle as you transition to a right forward bow for power.
• Pivot back into a right neutral bow and right inner hand sword to the back of his neck.

Hapkido - 06/28/2017

This was my first class at the new school. We began a little late because one of the TKD students had to perform her board breaks for her next exam.

GM Pak showed a lock flow drill which I think comprises the 3 of the 8 basic locks. They build on each other. I will describe it as I remember it.

You and a partner stand facing each other in a matched right stance. You cross your right hand edge against partner's right hand edge, making sure the pressure is constant but not too soft nor too hard. Stay centered; the arm is connected to your body not separated. Naturally take turns stepping forward and backwards while maintaining contact with your partner through the hand. I think of this as a centered walking exercise to understand the beginnings of where your power zones exist as you move forward and backwards.

#1 begins with your left hand now seizing his right hand. Your left thumb is pressed against the back of his right hand. Your right hand blade presses firmly into the middle of the back of his hand. GM Pak made the point that if you are not directing energy into the center of the hand, you might risk sliding off and losing contact. I thought at the time this was somewhat different from other versions of this wristlock I have seen which rely on a more circular motion. Best sure to turn the wrist so it is extended off to the back left 45 degrees. This is the limit of most people's wrist range. Press down to below his shoulder to complete the technique. Use minimal power to avoid hurting your partner.

You do not want to have a lot of space between yourself and your partner. At this point of training, it is ideal to have your left foot to the outside side of his current front foot.

#2 transition starts immediately after completing #1. Turn your right hand which was blading into the back of his hand and turn it counter clockwise so that your thumb points downward. Seize his right with this hand and pull back to right hip as you step to 3 o'clock with right leg and then immediately to 1:30 with left leg into him. You will now be cutting right over his elbow, pressing down to put him into an armbar. You may secure him by pressing his arm down into your bent left knee/thigh area as a leverage point.

#3 transitions into a shoulder lock take down. He has managed to bend his arm and is getting back up. You bend his arm by pressing into the bicep area and bring his hand so it points downward with the elbow pointed up into the air. Turn using the left leg to circle away with the right foot as the support point and drop your center of gravity to make him fall.

We also practiced a take down defense vs. a turning kick (round house) kick. Start in an unmatched stance with your partner. He will roundhouse kick you with the rear leg. You need to move in to change his range and thus decrease the potential power of his kick. As you do so, catch his leg on the 'struck' side with an overhook grip same side and roll under to secure the leg as you trap over with the other side hand. Think of the alternating cup and saucer move from Pinan Godan or Bassai as a mneumonic device.

Next step into him directly so you attack the supporting leg he is standing on. He will make a breakfall. Finish with an ankle lock. You are basically crushing his achilles tenden when you push down on the foot as it is braced against your arm. GM Pak also showed how to roll into your partner for a knee lock, but I didn't really catch onto that part of the lesson. Perhaps another time.

Dan Test Prep Class - 08/23/2013

Notes: Tension and relaxation (shin chook) along with relaxing/lowering my shoulders was a recurrent theme in the individual corrections I received. 45 degree work: remember the attacker is to the front. Stepping out to 45 degrees is to gain an angle on him. This has implications for where the strikes are aimed especially yan cap kwan or double back fist. Kicho Hyung Il Bu, Ee Bu, Sam Bu Combined is merely the first form performed up to the first middle series when you switch to Ee Bu with the upper blocks and you continue with the down block, high block sequence on the turns. Going down the middle on the final pass you switch to the middle block, side punches from Sam Bu and conclude the form with inside to outside blocks in a back stance. On my side punches, I need to line up the punch and arrive with the punch when I land in the horse stance. The punch needs to originate before the horse stance switching to avoid a circular quality on them. Lower the shoulders and expand - do not over-rotate. The shoulders need to be aligned with the hips. Pyung Ahn #1, concentrate on looking before turning. Lower shoulders on all techniques especially the low knifehand blocks on the end. Be sure to have the guarding hand position correct in front of the solar plexus. Pyung Ahn #2, do not shift into a full front stance before the double guard in preparation for the side kick and hammer fist. Stay in the side stance and simply snap the double guard to the front before going to teacup and saucer position. On the inside to outside block do not take a big prep motion, stay local. Kick to the outside on the block on the front kicks. Emphasize the shift from front stance to side stance on the down block, sword hand block combo. Pyung Ahn #3, on the spear hand, the down motion with the left hand is at a 45 degree angle. Afterwards, chamber right hand on back palm out, left hand palm down guarding the solar plexus. Be sure to make the double arm exchange for the hammer fist in the horse stance. Blocking kick needs to be higher and end at mid point of body before crushing into a stomp. Be sure to make the body turning block more obvious. 4 Kihaps, spearhand, lunge punch, lunge punch, final jumping punch and elbow. Pyung Ahn #4, stay in the back stance before thrusting out the double guard in prep for the cup and saucer. Cup and saucer is done with the back of the fist on the outside rather than blade of the arm. Be sure to extend the leg on the side kick all the way and the strike is a hammer fist not a backfist. After the hammer fist, leave the palm still and open in prep for the elbow strike. On switching to the other side, make a back stance to the 180 degree and make a transitional guard position with the right elbow thrusting towards the other way before going to the double guard. On the head grab, the hands go into diamond formation on the right hip and shoot up palms down to pull into the knee. Be sure to extend the hands down to at least the knee level. After the knee attack, move the right foot to the left so you can turn into the 220 degree back stance the other way. There is no longer a crossover on the second back stance and knifehand block. Simply take your right foot and advance it to the other 45 degrees. Pyung Ahn #5, the augmented block is in a front stance. Low x-block is front stance, transition to side stance to get hip action for the high x block in a front stance. Be sure to strike knee with right back of hand as you chop to the neck. You're doing something wrong on the rolling backfist attack with the other hand - roll hand to inside like augmented block on the strike? Then come under the elbow on the upward punch? Open hands on the prep for the groin tears, then close to fists for the swastika blocks. Chil Sung Ee Rho, be sure to extend out to grab with both hands and pull down past the knee. Side punches need to be align properly with lowered shoulders. Start the diamond pushes at the wrists crossed and back of hands facing totally downwards. Front kicks are thrust kicks and pull the grabbing hands all the way to the hips. On the last kick be sure to leave the left hand perfectly still to provide correct alignment for the reverse punch.