Crossing Talon and Darting Mace—Karate Classes Serving San Marino, Pasadena, South Pasadena

American Kenpo Karate offers karate classes to San Marino, Pasadena, and South Pasadena communities.  In the video demonstration that follows, Master Rick Jeffcoat teaches a Method of Attack exploring the different options that involve Crossing Talon and Darting Mace, which are both single wrist grabs.

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 right, to 1o’clock, into a left neutral bow simultaneously striking opponent’s right elbow with your left forearm in a forward thrusting motion as your right hand pulls in and towards your right hip.

2.      Force opponent’s right upper arm against your left upper thigh, pinning opponent in this position. If possible strike opponent’s head against your left knee while executing this move.

3.      Deliver a left side elbow strike to opponent’s right temple followed by a left heel palm and five finger rip to opponent’s face.

4.      As you rip out of the previous move, anchor your left elbow into opponent’s right shoulder to check his height zone. Circle your left arm clockwise and execute a left overhead elbow strike to the center of opponent’s back, on the spinal column.

5.      Follow up with a left heel palm strike to opponent’s mastoid as you pull his right arm with your right arm, pulling him into a right thrusting knee kick, creating a sandwich effect.

6.      Left front crossover in reverse as you cover into a left neutral bow.

DARTING MACE (Front Two Hand Wrist Grab)

1.      With feet together and opponent’s hands grabbing your right wrist, step forward toward 12 o’clock in front of opponent’s right leg into a left neutral bow.           

2.      Counter grab opponent’s right wrist as you execute a left thrusting inward block that strikes opponent’s right elbow as you execute a right pulling check to opponent’s right arm. Convert this move into a left vertical thrust punch to opponent’s face.

3.      Drop your left arm down to check opponent’s arms as you pivot into a left forward bow and simultaneously pull your right arm from opponent’s grasp as you execute a right vertical thrust punch to opponent’s solar plexus.

4.      Move your right foot to your left foot into a close cat stance as you execute a left outward hand sword to opponent’s throat.

5.      With no loss of motion, step out with your right foot to 11 o’clock, to buckle opponent’s right knee as you execute a right thrusting heel palm strike to opponent’s jaw.  Your left hand should be guarding.

6.      Cover out in the usual fashion.

Our classes offer Karate Classes to San Marino, Pasadena, and South Pasadena Communities.  Our studio is attended by students all over Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley.  If you want to learn from one of Kenpo’s most world renown practitioners, come to American Kenpo Karate, where you will receive the training of a lifetime. 

Self-Defense Classes in Sierra Madre California

American Kenpo Karate offers top-rated self-defense classes for Sierra Madre residents.  Located in the San Gabriel valley in the Pasadena Playhouse District just a few exits from Sierra Madre, our studio offers self-defense classes for adults and children during the weekdays, evenings, and weekends.  We also offer self-defense classes to Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Workplaces, Women’s organizations, and colleges/universities. 

Self Defense is needed when:

1)      You are attacked without provocation.

2)      You are threatened and fear injury or death

Of course, the best self-defense is to leave or diffuse the situation before things get out of hand.  But training in self-defense classes will give you confidence in dangerous situations.

What is self-defense training?

Self Defense training requires developing verbal skills, psychological awareness and environmental awareness.  There are also many physical skills that are needed for both adults and children:

Kids Self Defense

There are several goals for self-defense training for children.  They are perhaps different that those of adults.  The firs goal is to develop assertiveness and confidence to help manage bullying and harassment from same-age or slightly older peers. Our adaptive program also address neurodiversity to provide strategies for students with special needs.  Kids may also need defensive strategies against adult aggression or possible kidnapping.  Self-defense classes can help them fend off adult aggression. Physical conditioning is also a goal so that the children can develop the strength and body recognition needed to defend themselves.

·         Bully & Confidence training

·         Kidnapping Resisting and Escaping

·         Yelling, Attacking and Get Away Drills

·         Defense Strategies against: Chokes, headlocks, grabs, hugs, tackles, kicks, punches

·         Conditioning and Gross Motor Development

·         Adaptive self-defense for teens

Adult Self Defense

Adult/Teen Self-Defense classes are more focused on the possibility of an unexpected attack on yourself or your loved ones.  Unexpected attacks may include physical violence and sexual assault.

·         Escaping Grabs, Hugs, Headlocks, Chokes

·         Defending against strikes

·         Striking for Getaway

·         Defending against blade weapons

·         Firearms defense

·         Fighting/Combat Conditioning

·         Scenario training

American Kenpo Karate can meet the Self-Defense class needs for Sierra Madre men, women, teens, and children. 

Check out a video of our teen self-defense combat conditioning:

https://vimeo.com/237336817

Begging Hands and Desperate Falcons — Martial Arts Pasadena

American Kenpo Karate offers some of the most expert Martial Arts in Pasadena, California.  In the video explanation below, Master Rick Jeffcoat offers a Method of Attack drill in which he explains the different defensive options for two hand wrist grabs, depend on the foot position of the opponent or attacker.  In the Blue Belt technique, Begging Hands,  the attacker is standing in a horse stance.  However, the attacker in the 3^rd degree Brown Belt technique Desperate Falcons, has one leg forward and therefore, the first move to break the grab must be different from Begging Hands.

BEGGING HANDS (front two-hand grab to wrists)

1. With feet together, step back with your left foot (to 6 o’clock) into a right neutral bow as you have both of your hands assimilate begging (palm up) on the top of your opponent’s wrists as your right foot draws back into a right cat stance.
2. Immediately deliver a right snapping ball kick to opponent’s groin.
3. Plant your right foot (toward 12 o’clock) adjusting its depth according to the circumstance and deliver a left snapping ball kick to opponent’s chin.
4. As you plant your left foot forward (toward 12 o’clock) into a left neutral bow, deliver a double torquing heel of palm thrust under opponent’s chest, shuffling forward if needed.
5. Cover out in usual fashion.

DESPERATE FALCONS  (Front Two-Hand Grab to Wrists)

1. With feet together and opponent grabbing your wrists from the front (opponent’s left hand grabbing your right wrist and right grabbing your left wrist) move your left foot forward and to your left between 11 and 12 o’clock (into a left neutral bow) as both arms circle clockwise so as to loop over both arms of your opponent (forcing opponent’s arms down).
2. Immediately follow-up with a left forward back knuckle to opponent’s face simultaneous with a right forward vertical fist to opponent’s solar plexus.
3. Without hesitation step forward into a right 45° cat stance toward 12 o’clock and deliver a right vertical or diagonal back knuckle strike to opponent’s right temple  as your left hand checks down and presses against  opponent’s right arm.
4. Step forward (hugging inside of your opponent’s right leg) with your right foot to 12 or 1 o’clock  into a right  neutral  bow  and  deliver  a right  horizontal inward elbow strike to opponent’s face (left hand is still pressing and checking opponent’s right arm down).
5. Immediately shift into a right reverse bow (in place) while delivering a right downward diagonal hammerfist to  opponent’s  right  kidney  (left  hand  is checking slightly higher).
6. Execute a left rear crossover  toward 2 o’clock and immediately plant your right leg into a right reverse bow in order to buckle inside of opponent’s left leg.
7. Right knee kick to inside of opponent’s right thigh toward 8 o’clock.
8. Right front crossover and cover out twice toward 8 o’clock.

American Kenpo Karate’s martial arts Pasadena studio is an amazing place to learn from a world-renown kenpo practitioner.  Whether you are new to martial arts or an experienced practitioner looking to improve and diversify your training, you are welcome to join in on our classes!

Retreating Pendulum with Extension – Kick Techniques – Martial Arts Styles

Many martial Arts styles incorporate a defense against kicks.  At American Kenpo Karate, we learn defensive strategies against single kicks and kick combinations, as well as punch-kick combinations. In today’s video, we feature Retreating Pendulum, the 6^th kick technique the American Kenpo Karate system.Retreating pendulum with the extension teaches how to buckle the opponent down and how to take advantage of strike opportunities to the rear of the opponent.

RETREATING PENDULUM (front right thrusting heel kick)

1. While in a right neutral bow, drop back with your right foot into a left front twist stance. simultaneously deliver a right outside downward block to opponent’s kicking leg and check with your left hand by your right shoulder.
2. Immediately deliver a right knife-edge kick to opponent’s left leg, to inner knee.
3. Plant your right foot forward toward 12 o’clock and have your left hand check high dose to your armpit.
4. As your block circles counter clockwise and without losing any momentum follow·up with a right overhead downward hammerfist to opponent’s neck as you plant your right foot toward 12 o’clock.
5. Pivot to your left into a right reverse bow and deliver a right rear scoop kick to opponent’s groin, your right leg between your opponent’s leg at this point. You may have to drag your left foot toward your right foot to assure proper distance for your rear scoop kick.
6. After your right rear heel scoop kick to groin and your right reverse bow to buckle his right back of knee, and from your right reverse bow stance, pivot clockwise and drop into a right close kneel as you execute a left palm claw grab to grab and squeeze opponent’s testicles from the rear and from in between his legs (your left hand is checking across his body to his left hip or shoulder  depending on where he is).
7. At this you start to rise up by first executing a right back knuckle to the opponent’s right kidney, as you stand on up execute a left heel of palm claw to the left side of your opponent’s face, as you switch your stance to a right forward.
8.  Now switch your forward bow stance to a right neutral bow stance as you execute a right inward handsword strike to the right side of his neck.
9. Pull your right foot back into a right cat stance and execute a right roundhouse kick to the right slide of his face.
10. From the kick right front crossover and double coverout toward 7:30

Martial Arts Classes that incorporate kick defenses help develop strategies for managing the kicks and incapacitating the opponent so that they cannot deliver more strikes.