[Ren]

Straight Elbow Power Strike

So, the straight elbow power strike is an intrusive elbow attack directed to the middle section of the attacker's center line. The goal is to drive our elbow forward, piercing into the attacker's center line. This power strike also doubles as a shield because of the way it’s performed.
 
Well, from your stance, place one hand over the side of your forehead and raise your elbow so that it’s at your shoulder level. Pay attention to the positioning of your feet because this will help generate the power needed for this powerful strike. Have the same foot forward as whichever elbow is striking. Now imagine the thrusting force of a rhino’s horn -- this is your elbow and body. With a slight step forward on your leading leg, drive your entire body into your attacker’s center line. This technique can be done with your hand directly on your forehead or just above your forehead (for those with more strength). Having your elbow outward and the triangular nature of this hand position creates a shield to oncoming attacks, making this both an effective attack and defensive technique.

[Ren]

Cross Elbow Power Strike

Another elbow technique: the cross elbow power strike. The cross elbow is an impactful strike focused on the center line of the attacker’s body, aiming at their chin or chest.
 

We condition our bodies to generate power in close quarters to maximize space and efficiency in a real-life self-defense scenario. Typically, fights begin when two people are facing each other, one potentially with their hands up in a combative stance. Like our attacker, we also want to have our hands up (but for different reasons.) Do you know why? Having our hands up is the easiest way to protect our own center line, and the closest way for us to reach our attacker’s center line. Also, if our hands are open while they are up, it shows clearly that we are defending rather than attacking, which is crucial if there are witnesses watching CCTV recordings in case authorities get involved. Our goal here is to create the most amount of power in the shortest space possible. With your hands at head height, raise and rotate your attacking elbow up so that your arm is horizontal to the floor, pointing your elbow towards your attacker’s center line as you step in slightly to strike.

Remember not to over-commit to the strike to ensure you remain balanced and in control. This is especially useful when your attacker has his hands up and in a combative stance. Pull his hands down to open up his center and quickly proceed with the cross elbow to his chest or chin.

[Ren]

Swing Elbow Power Strike

The last elbow technique is: swing elbow power strike. It is a more intimate version of the cross elbow in the sense that we want to further close the gap between ourselves and the attacker. This is made possible by taking an extra step inward towards our attacker’s center line and turning our bodies 90 degrees. Now imagine the pulling motion that an arm does while starting a chainsaw or lawnmower. This pulling motion combined with our stepping and twisting of the body makes for an extremely powerful blow.
And, once again, remember not to over-commit to the strike to ensure you remain balanced and in control!!! This is especially useful when your attacker has his hands up and in a combative stance. Pull his hands down to open up his center, step in and twist your body 90 degrees, and then quickly proceed with the swing elbow to his jaw, chest or stomach.

[Non-SEO]

Easy and useful!

[Alexa]

I love it because it helps me protect myself of being raped.

[Ren]

Very well!!! Let's go on!

[Ren]

Hammer Fist Power Strike

There is another offensive technique. It is called "hammer fist power strike". The hammer fist is the use of a closed fist, not as a punch, but to mimic the likeness of an actual hammer while striking an attacker.  To perform this power strike, imagine the way a blacksmith wields a hammer and pounds metal. That is the motion you want to mimic, with our closed fists (and arms being the hammer head and handle respectively). Stand completely straight with your arms hanging by your sides in their most natural, relaxed position, and make a close fist. Raise your fists upward and forward while keeping your elbows by your sides until your fists are at eye level. Then, in a burst movement, relax your arms and pull your fist down vertically until your fist makes contact with the target. Upon impact, tense your fist and release quickly to maximize power and minimize self-injury.

This strike is most useful on the collar bone, arm and jaw when performed horizontally.

Remember that power is generated from the waist and not from the arms; so keep everything close and tight and avoid over-extending your arms, especially to avoid self-injury. Also, the more relaxed you are, the faster this strike will be. Try not to tense up until the actual moment of impact.

I like this technique.

[Ren]

Palm Strike

Now about the next offensive technique -- the palm strike. We're not talking about a palm tree. We're talking about the palm of your hand. You see, our hands are so versatile in their functionality, especially when it comes to combat. They can be used in a variety of ways to strike, including grabbing, pushing, chopping, hitting, poking... The most practical use of the hand is an open palm. Our hands are naturally open while relaxed, and an open hand can adapt to any surface it's striking unlike its closed counterpart -- the fist.
Well, here we go. From your stance, direct your palm to your attacker’s center line. Aim for the chin or side of jaw for maximum damage. Each time you strike, replace your hands with each other, making sure one hand stays close to your center line (protects) while the other is striking your attacker’s center line. While executing this power strike, reminding you, that your power generates from the waist, not from the arms! So, keep everything close and tight and avoid over-extending your arms, especially to avoid self-injury. Also, the more relaxed you are, the faster this strike will be.

[Ren]

Enough offensive techniques. Back to defending.

Introduction to Defending the High Hook

So, maybe you already know that there are three important main concepts: maintaining your balance, practicing safely, and arm placement.

The first concept is the basic technique and how to apply it. First, it is very important to understand that the following technique is not just "an answer" to hooks, but "an answer" to every attack made by arms coming in at an angle including slaps and, in theory, haymakers (you can learn more about "haymakers punch in boxing"). This technique is appropriate to use at any time your opponent tries to impact you by bringing his/her arms in. The technique for dealing with this consists of two crucial parts.

The first part is to block the inside of their attacking arm with the outside of your defending arm. The outer edge of your hand or arm, the part opposite of your thumb, should make contact with the inside of your opponent’s forearm, the same side their thumb is on, at the middle of the forearm. Once you've contacted this area, you should to employ the second part of the technique.


For the second part of the basic technique, you should deliver a strike with the outer edge of your hand to your opponent’s shoulder. Together these techniques control your opponent by giving you control over the arm they make the attack with. Your blocking arm can hold your opponent’s arm from the front, and your strike checks the opponent making sure that they can't continue to attack you effectively.

There is also another way, a "knee-way" but about this, in the next post.

[Ren]

Defending the High Hook and Attacking with the Knee

Okay, you maybe already know it, the concept of “Weapon replacement”. Weapon replacement is replacing your attacks with different types attacks. For example, the strike to your opponent’s shoulder could be an elbow to his head, which is got followed by a slap to his groan by extending your arm, or it could be "a chop" made with intent to "chop" his/her "head off".  But never try to hurt deadly anyone!!! When starting out with training, we better keep things simple. This ties into the second major point. You need to practice safely.

We need to point out that there are a ton of variables that come into play in an actual self-defense situation so... how do we practice this technique safely in a way that still prepares us for a self-defense scenario? Well, the safest way to practice these techniques is to keep your hands open and simply check your training partners shoulder. Once you have a better understanding of how to move your body, you can start taking the techniques further by striking at your training partner's neck, for example. It's important to restrain yourself so that you don't end up hitting your opponent’s neck.

That could injure your friend and prevent you from finding training partners. Seriously, practice safely.

The final point to make is about maintaining balance. A common pitfall that students fall into when first practicing this technique is leaning forward. Masters demonstrate that this leaves you highly vulnerable either to being pulled forward into a bad position or simply falling on your face if your opponent takes a step back. To combat this masters instruct us to either step forward into the strike such that you can still block the opponents strike correctly and make your counter attack, or to simply stay where you are and block your opponents strike correctly without moving. It is necessary to practice both approaches to learn to understand what you want to do and when you need to do it because the real self-defense situations have many different variables.

Go to practice! Practice makes perfect.

[SEO]

Yeah. Stay safe!!!

[Ren]

Pressure Points

You should know about the pressure points. All those weaker points, for example. Anatomy is the name of the game. The skeletal system doesn't afford total protection. We should stay focused on the use of pressure point attacks in self-defense and combat. Pressure point attacks are the utilization of the body's nervous system for the incapacitation of the opponent. They allow you to quickly subdue a foe as the human body has many of vital and vulnerable areas.

 

[Ren]

Pressure Point Attacks

Let's make a simple list of these pressure points first: eyes, nose, clavicle, solar plexus, ribs, groin, temple, ears, carotid sinus, jaw, extremities, cervical vertebrae, kidneys, brachial plexus, infraorbital nerve, jugular notch, radial nerve, ulnar nerve, peroneal nerve, femoral nerve... and almost all of your hands and feet (fingers and toes too).

Think about it...

[Ren]

Pressure points attacks in the real self-defense

So, the first point to be demonstrated relates to areas against the midline: the eyes, underneath the jawline, the throat, the sternum, the solar plexus, and under the rib cage. This, as masters demonstrate, is the region of close distance as it represents the opponent's midline. As they demonstrate with a straight elbow counter to the solar plexus, these areas are accessible for attack, such as a knife hand attack to under the rib cage, or a throat strike. More distant areas of attack can be the shoulders, just medial to the coracoid bone. Many nerves and major muscles of the chest and bicep muscle attach to that point of the shoulder, and it isn't covered with bone. Rather, the bony protrusion of the coracoid bone can be used to cut into these muscles and nerves, making it a very effective pressure point.

Masters also demonstrate the different ways to attack directly and indirectly. The body's skeletal system and movement can be used to access pressure points for attack directly. For example, when countering a charging opponent, masters demonstrate a straight elbow counter to the opponent’s solar plexus, or to the shoulder pressure points. From behind, while in a rear naked choke position, some masters demonstrate pulling the jaw of the opponent to the side, to expose the neck for pressure point strikes.

Indirect attacks to these points relate to engagements surrounding grappling. In a demonstration, the opponent is engaged in grappling, and pulling wrist and arm control to your outside leg, across his body, you can open attack points such as below the rib cage.  Also, when parrying a punch, after controlling the arm, you can attack the shoulder pressure point. When already engaged in grappling, when in rear control, you can control the opponent’s head to open pressure points on the neck and eyes.

The points on the thumb, knuckles, and finger tips are vital to these attacks. When striking, do not spread your fingers or bend the wrist. This is because you can easily break these appendages against your opponent if not reinforced. You must reinforce the fingers and knuckles and compress them before initiating a piercing strike or grab.

You can utilize these attacks in combination with other attacking strikes or counters. As masters demonstrate, after countering with a straight elbow to the solar plexus and closing distance, you can, in combination, attack the pressure point below the rib cage with the rear arm. Also, after parrying a punch and delivering a cross elbow to the shoulder, the hand strike can be brought down to pressure points on the neck. There are endless possibilities and combinations once you understand where the points are and what the distance of engagement is. Practice well and don't hurt yourself! Also, never hurt too much your opponents and don't try to disable or kill them! Remember the lawful self-defense!

[Ren]

What if... You are about to get chucked against a wall? You see, imagine that: .You are about to get chucked against a wall and get choked out. I will list down three safety movements you could do when you need to brace against the wall:

a. Make sure you join your hands together, with the elbow wide out so your elbow (elbows) doesn’t get smashed on the wall.
b. Drop your chin down. (It protects your head.)
c. Use one of your foot to stop yourself from hitting the wall hard.


Tonight I'm too tired to write more about the self-defence, so let's finish this short post with some good reminders:

When using the chopping strike, where does the power generate from for a more powerful strike? Do you remember? The power comes from the waist. The body must lock and twist slightly when you strike.

Can you name the areas where the main pressure points are placed on the body as explained above in the posts? Remember: throat, neck, solar plexus, below the ribs, temple (head), lower cheeks, shoulders...