Distract, Disable, and Destroy

by Floyd Burk

Combat Hapkido’s Low-Line Kicking Guarantees Supremacy on the Street!

“The biggest advantage attackers have over their victims is the element of surprise,” claims Combat Hapkido master John Pellegrini. “Attackers expect their targets to freeze up, allowing them to gain immediate psychological and physical superiority.”

Those are sobering words, to be sure, but if nothing else, they should inspire you to do everything in your power to bolster your defenses and incorporate the element of surprise into your planned responses to attack.

One of the best ways to do that is to arm yourself with Combat Hapkido’s low-line kicking methods, which mesh with any number of joint locks and follow-up strikes for a cool combination of controlled fury.

Against a punch: John Pellegrini (left) assumes the Combat Hapkido awareness position in front of his assailant (1). When the man punches, Pellegrini evades the blow and traps the arm (2), then slams a roundhouse kick into his leg (3). He grasps the attacker’s arm (4) and executes a spinning takedown (5). Once he hits the ground, Pellegrini immobilizes him with his knees (6) and effects a wrist lock (7). Against a grab: When the attacker (left) grasps John Pellegrini’s wrist (1), he responds with a snap kick to the groin (2). He then executes a two-handed wrist-flex (3) and an elbow smash to the face (4). To finish, he leverages him to the ground (5) and hyperextends his arm (6). Against a choke: The opponent reaches for John Pellegrini’s neck, but Pellegrini intercepts the hand and keeps it away from his airway (1). He then drives an angled kick into the closest leg (2), entangles the choking arm (3) and shoots a tiger-mouth strike into the throat (4). Pellegrini follows up with an elbow strike to the solar plexus (5) and a takedown, after which he executes an arm lock and a choke (6). Against a club: John Pellegrini faces an armed attacker (1). The man swings his weapon, and Pellegrini evades the blow while he deflects and traps the assailant’s arm (2). He then twists the limb (3) and sends a front kick into the man’s torso (4). While the aggressor is stunned, Pellegrini applies pressure against the wrist (5) and completes the disarm (6).

GOOD BEGINNING Pellegrini advocates employing low-line kicks as a first line of defense to surprise your opponent, then distract and disable him, thus making it easier for you to destroy him with a follow-up. Such kicks are just one of the components that distinguish Combat Hapkido from other Korean fighting systems. In lieu of the customary jumping and spinning techniques, you need to focus on kicks that lash out at waist level or lower, he says. Low-line kicks are ideal for street fighting, mostly because it’s fairly easy to avoid telegraphing your intentions when doing them. Other key advantages include the ability to generate maximum power, the maintenance of better balance (because your center of gravity stays lower), the ability to ruin your opponent’s mobility (by hammering his leg muscles) and the option of attacking his groin and certain parts of his legs to shock his nervous system and buckle his body. When combined with Combat Hapkido’s awareness position, which the art uses instead of traditional stances, the aforementioned advantages can give you the upper hand and make it easier for you to execute a finishing throw, joint lock or hand strike, Pellegrini says. FIGHTING COMBO NO. 1 An ego-pumped punk says he’s going to pound you into the ground. He lunges at you with a head punch— then finds himself flat on his back with one of your knees on his head and the other against his spine. To top it off, his arm feels as though it’s twisted like a pretzel. The Combat Hapkido solution begins with you facing your attacker with your left foot forward and your forearms vertical at chest level. Your hands are open and ready for action. As he closes the gap and initiates the right-hand strike, step forward and to the outside with your left leg. Simultaneously use your right hand to parry his punch, then grab his wrist. The path is now open to disable him with a roundhouse kick to his right leg. Next, use your left hand to seize the elbow of the arm you just grabbed. Lift the limb, then circle it downward while you pivot counterclockwise.

That will cause him to fall on his left side. Once he does, drop your left knee onto the side of his head and dig your other knee into his lower back while maintaining control of his arm. Complete the immobilization by cranking his wrist. Increase the pressure as needed.

“Martial artists train with other martial artists who are constantly being polite to one another, bowing, helping each other up and that kind of thing,” Pellegrini says. “While this can be a lot of fun, it’s more likely that a lunatic lacking in morals is going to be who you’re defending against. Consequently, you need to do role-playing where you and various partners take turns assuming the role of the lunatic.

Be creative but stay realistic. That way you’ll be mentally prepared for this type of attack, and surprise and fear won’t beat you.”

FIGHTING COMBO NO. 2
A hooligan threatens you, then grabs your arm in an effort to shock you into giving in to his demands. Your foot lashes out in a flash, leaving him with a ruptured groin and, after you fling him to the pavement, a bad case of road rash.

Begin in an awareness position that has your right foot forward. For the drill, your attacker assumes a left-side forward stance before grabbing your right wrist with his right hand. Direct a front snap kick into his groin. The force of the blow will cause him to double over.

You now have the opening you need to reverse his grip and put him into a two-handed wrist-flex (one hand holds his wrist and the other bends his fingers forward). Pull him toward you and lift your right elbow to smash him in the nose. Increase the tension of the wrist-flex and pivot about 20 degrees counterclockwise to throw him to the ground. Drop your left knee onto the side of his head and reposition your hands for a standing armbar that uses your upper leg as a fulcrum. He’ll be as helpless as a baby.

Wise words from Pellegrini: “Whether you are a strong young person or a cagey 60-year-old, don’t overestimate or underestimate your opponent.

By hitting vulnerable targets and vital areas, you can do much damage to an unsuspecting combatant. Even if your physical gifts are limited, you should come out on top.”

FIGHTING COMBO NO. 3
Things are getting ugly fast. Joe Schmo reaches for your throat with the ultimate goal of relieving you of your life, but your quick-kick counterattack and whirling takedown leave him writhing in pain and begging for mercy.

Your self-defense training should prepare you to act instinctively whenever an opponent goes for your neck.

That’s why the Combat Hapkido response to the scenario described above involves immediately grabbing the attacking hand with your right hand.

Yank it down just enough to clear your windpipe, then slam an angled kick into the quadriceps of his lead leg.

Wrap your left arm around his trapped limb so you can free your right hand, which is used to launch a tiger-mouth strike at his throat. Your same-side elbow then smashes into his solar plexus.

Continue your defense with a counterclockwise spinning takedown that lands him flat on his back. Maintain your hold on his Adam’s apple. Finish him with a knee to the neck and an elbow/shoulder dislocation.

“The logical thing to do is protect your windpipe,” Pellegrini advises.

“Most other courses of action can leave you incapacitated. Since you never know what’s coming, it’s best to use what warriors call mushin, or the ‘mind of no mind.’ Don’t form in your mind [an image of] what’s going to happen. Instead, keep it clear so you can react and adapt without hesitation.”

FIGHTING COMBO NO. 4
An enraged gangbanger is intent on cracking your skull with a club. You react instantaneously, making quick work of him with a wrist torque and a boot to the gut. In seconds, he’s reduced to a quivering pile of jelly.

Assume the awareness position in front of your partner. When he swings his training weapon at your head, deflect it as you lean slightly to your left.

Use your right hand to seize the hand he’s using to hold the club, then twist it and the weapon in a semicircle until he can no longer control it. Follow up with a low-line kick to the body, which stuns him long enough for you to slap on a short-duration wrist lock and effect a disarm.

Technical tips: “When defending against a weapon at close quarters, remember that different ones require different disarming techniques.

For bladed weapons, never grab the blade. Grab the hand holding the weapon, then take care of the opponent and the weapon. For gun disarms, seize the gun before executing the takedown or takeaway.

There’s more leeway when it comes to impact weapons, but I prefer to evade and get inside its trajectory, then clamp onto the limb holding the weapon. Then I take it away.”

SIGNS OF SUCCESS
With down-to-earth techniques such as the four described here, it’s no wonder Combat Hapkido and its creator are enjoying unrivaled success in the martial arts community.

Pellegrini reports rising sales of his videos and DVDs, as well as a one year backlog in seminar and training camp appearances. Membership in his organization, the International Combat Hapkido Federation, has climbed to 250 schools located in more than 20 countries.

The reason for that success can be traced directly back to Pellegrini’s efforts to distill his knowledge of the traditional arts down to its most functional essence, then pass it on to any martial artist who shows an interest. The formula certainly seems to be working.


This artical originally appeared in Black Belt Magazine


See Artical Link and click on images for additonal images in technique sequence.

"Karate Kid Fights Intruder"

Reported by AP News on Sept. 12, 07 at 6:37AM

Kenny Partanen of Pompano Beach, Florida was supprised by an intruder in his South Florida Home, but by using his Hapkido Skills he was able to subdue the intruder untill Police arrived. Check out the News Video below for additional details.


VIDEO NO LONGER AVAILABLE 3/24/08
Please follow the below link to read new article on this topic:

http://www.wftv.com/news/14096503/detail.html

INTERNATIONAL COMBAT HAPKIDO FEDERATION

Kwan of the

World Kido Federation

Modern Punch Defenses of Hapkido
Author: Luke Fraser

What is it about defending against punches that oftentimes causes martial artists to question their abilities? If you were to ask the average new student what aspect of self-defense he or she would most like to learn, the majority would respond with punch defenses. Why is this the case? It's simple: Throwing a punch, a slap or any sort of hand attack is one of the first lines of offense or defense that we learn as children, and usually the first method of attack we see when exposed to some form of violence. Children become familiar with hand attacks early in life; whether it is seen in a movie, in a fight on the playground, or in domestic abuse a situation that far too many children are being exposed to today.

As we grow older and the possibility of actually being attacked becomes more realistic, the thought of being struck by a larger individual is one of the most highly feared occurrences for the average person. However, it does differ a bit between the sexes. Men are conventionally those whom concern themselves more with the punching aspect of a street attack whereas women mostly fear a rape or abduction by a larger man. What most women don't always consider is the fact that strikes often accompany a rapist's arsenal when he carries out his assault.

This article will cover the most effective and useful defensive methods that the average man or woman can use to quickly and easily prevent an assailant from achieving his goal of landing that big knockout punch. The style known as Chon Tu Kwan or Combat Hapkido, founded and created by Grandmaster John Pellegrini, has some of the most practical methods for disabling an attacker who has thrown a punch.

Unlike many forms of traditional martial arts, Combat Hapkido employs a unique scientific ideology for defending against a fist. First and foremost, it is paramount to differentiate between the different types of hand attacks. Second, a practitioner of Combat Hapkido must study which attacks are most widely used in a real street attack and; third, how is the attack delivered and from what distance.

Oftentimes, some martial arts instructors will teach punch defense from a traditional front stance and then lunge in with a basic straight punch. While this may seem useful to some, quite simply, it is not practical and will cause a student to develop a false sense of security. Take a moment to think about the fights you may have seen in your lifetime. A punch is almost always thrown in rapid succession no more than an arm's distance away. Self-defense training also must be practiced in a similar fashion to simulate reality.

So what then are the most common types of punching attacks one is most likely to encounter on the street? There are three. Let's explore each one individually.

The Cross or Straight Reverse Punch:
The straight punch, whether with the front or rear hand, will always be the most difficult punch to defend against. As we have all learned, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Therefore, it will always be more difficult and we will always have less time to react when this attack is launched.

There are many contributing factors that will determine whether or not you'll be able to defend yourself properly against a cross or straight reverse punch. The first, and possibly most important, is the positioning and placement of the hands. If you are a fan of boxing, you have probably noticed that the majority of knockouts occur when a fighter is hit along the jaw line (area from the ear lobes to the middle of the chin). Knowing this about knockouts should be a practitioner's first clue as to where to position hands when expecting a punch. Combat Hapkido remains consistent about keeping the hands open rather that closed: it is simpler to trap an opponent's arm and construct some sort of counter if the hands remain open. Also, palm strikes, Ki-strikes and other open-hand counters are greatly preferred by the Combat Hapkido stylist.

Once proper hand position is established, the next consideration is to ascertain a rule regarding straight punches. It is this writer's firm belief that the best method of defending against a straight punch is to use your corresponding hand to parry the attack in accordance with "side to side" head movements. Explained a little differently, if an attacker punches with the right hand, do not attempt to cross over and block with your right hand but instead use your left, or corresponding, hand to parry. However, that parry is not enough. Additionally, you must move your head to the outside of your attacker's body in a simultaneous motion with your parry. The combination of those two body movements creates the most efficient method for defending against the straight cross punch. Once the assailant's punch has been redirected, the Combat Hapkido stylist would then proceed to apply one of many joint locks, choke holds or takedowns to finish off his opponent.

The Drunken or Wild Hook Punch:
Unlike the cross punch, a hook punch, although quite intimidating at times, can be defended against with a bit more ease due to the circular motion of the attack. This motion allows a split-second extra time to react and begin an effective counterattack. In a traditional form of Hapkido as well as numerous other styles, it is often stressed that to successfully defend against a hooking type of attack one must continue in the direction of the attack and not meet force with force. In Korean art forms, this is called the "Won" or Circular Principle. Combat Hapkido also employs this principle in many of its punching defense requirements but in accordance with them, it also utilizes various other methods as well.

A drunken or wild hook punch is often dismissed as an ineffective method of attack. This is not only incorrect but also dangerous to even think that it could not cause injury! Although this form of punching may not be as damaging as a properly executed boxing style hook, if it should find its mark on your chin, its effects could be devastating. To remain prepared to defend against this punch, your hand position should not differ from that of the cross-punch. Your hands should remain open, relaxed and be placed in a position that will protect the jaw line.

Defending against the hook is different than the cross in another way: Because you have more reaction time, you may be able to use your cross-hand to parry this attack. However, I highly stress that you find a defensive tactic that will allow use of the corresponding hand rather than attempt to cross over and block. If you must cross the body, it is recommended that you learn to use a two-hand parry rather than simply a hard style block.

The lower half of the body also plays an intricate part in complete defense. Proper footwork used in conjunction with parrying may decide whether or not your defense is successful. In Combat Hapkido, practitioners never use deep traditional stances or commit fully to one body posture. One must keep the feet positioned in close proximity and never place them in a position where they are uncomfortable and can't be easily moved. Proper footwork is a boxer's best friend and as martial artists, we need to adopt the boxer's mind-set as far as leg mobility is concerned. The two most common types of movement when defending against wild hook punches are to side step and dip or to utilize a circular principle counter. Both methods are displayed.

The Uppercut Punch:
The third and most neglected punch that should be studied by all self-defense practitioners is the upper-cut. The previous two punches are taught by most respectable martial arts instructors but oftentimes the uppercut is omitted and never discussed. This is an injustice to serious martial arts students because this form of attack is all too common. Once again, there is a very different approach to this self-defense. Almost 100 percent of the time, an uppercut will be thrown from one position only: when in very close quarters with an attacker who is able to sneak it in underneath your guard. It is because of its elusiveness that the uppercut, if thrown correctly, is sometimes difficult to predict and may cause difficulty.

Combat Hapkido employs two methods of defense when dealing with an uppercut punch attack. First, your ready posture will remain the same but also must protect your mid-section. Simply keeping your elbows close to the body should enable you to keep the punch from squarely hitting its primary targets. What then is the target of an uppercut? There are many. The two most devastating spots to be struck by an uppercut are the chin and the solar plexus. Yes, the ribs and kidneys are also areas where you should be cautious but the chin and solar plexus are an attacker's key focal points. The Combat Hapkido method again is based on simple and effective movements rather than an elaborate strategy of fancy techniques which will probably render you confused and tangled up in your own arms! (Two effective and simple methods for defense are demonstrated.)

Conclusion:
There are many factors to consider when training to defend against punches, all of which can change the outcome of the attack. There is a science behind properly executing a successful counter to a well-thrown punch and the road to its proficiency is a long one. Timing, rhythm and an overall fluidity of motion all come into play. As with all defensive tactics, you must train your body to remain loose and relaxed in order to allow for any of the techniques explained in this article to be effective.

How do you become more proficient? The answer is to begin practicing in a more realistic manner and to ask yourself how you would attack if you were to throw a punch. Then begin drilling with a partner making sure that you remain in a realistic position and with very little distance between you and your training partner. If you train in an impractical way, your chances of defending against a surprise attack are very slim. So, keep it realistic and you'll be on the path to a more practical method to your punch defense arsenal.

This article originally appeared in http://martialarm.blogspot.com/