Attacking Mace (EPAK Yellow #9)

Attacking Mace is the 9th technique required to obtain your Yellow Belt in Ed Parker’s American Kenpo.  Attacking Mace is a defense against a right step through punch placing it in the Punches category of the Web of Knowledge and the Punches Family Group in the Family Groups Striking Division.

This technique is your second defense against a punch and it teaches the value of checking your opponents leverage points to control height, width and depth in order. A grabbing check is used and reverse motion is used twice. You will also step back with the right foot for the first time.

Defense

• Step 1:
  • Step back toward 6:00 with your right foot to form a left neutral bow stance.
  • Deliver a left inward block to the outside of your opponent’s right arm.
  • Cock your right hand at your right hip.
• Step 2:
  • Pivot counterclockwise into a left forward bow stance.
  • Deliver a right straight thrust punch to your opponent’s right rib cage.
  • Check high with your left hand.
• Step 3:
  • Circle your right hand under and outside your opponent’s right arm to grab and pull your opponent’s arm with your right hand.
  • Deliver a right front snapping ball kick to the groin.
• Step 4:
  • Plant your right foot forward towards 12:00 checking the inside of your opponent’s right knee.
  • Deliver a left snapping vertical punch to your opponent’s kidney.
• Step 5:
  • Cover toward 6:00.

Additional Information

Name

As previously stated, the mace is symbolic of the fist. The name here derives from your opponent’s attacking fist.

Attack

The ideal phase has the attacker in front of you possibly in a left neutral bow. The attacker then steps towards you with their right foot as they deliver a right thrusting vertical punch to your face, neck or upper chest.

Considerations

• What if …
  • your opponent does not step through?
  • your opponent steps forward with his left leg?
  • your opponent punches your midsection instead of your face?
  • your opponent attacks you with full body momentum?
  • your opponent precedes his punch with a right step through kick
  • your opponent is thrusting a club.
  • your back is against a wall
  • your opponent punches with his right hand then follows with his left?
  • your opponent falls to his knees after your first punch?
  • your right wrist grab slips off your opponent’s wrist?

Related Techniques

• Dance of Death
• Evading the Storm
• Thundering Hammers
• Darting Mace
• Sleeper
• Flashing Wings
• Glancing Spear
• Desperate Falcons
• Aggressive Twins

Historical Notes

• The 1975 Accumulative Journal ends with the right snapping ball kick by having you plant back towards 6:00 into a left neutral bow stance with your hands up in a fighting position.

Historical Versions

1975 Accumulative Journal

ATTACKING MACE (front straight right punch)

1. With feet together drop back with your right foot into a left neutral bow stance as you execute a left inward strike outside of opponent’s right punch.
2. Pivot into a left forward bow stance as you execute a right straight thrust punch to the right rib cage of your opponent keeping your left hand open in a checking position at on or above his right elbow.
3. Circle your right hand down in and around (countergrab) to become a grab out side opponent’s right wrist, and as you pull him in toward you strike him in the right rib-cage or solar-plexus with your right front snap ball kick. From your right kick plant down and back into a left neutral bow stance, with your hands in the fighting position.
4. No cover out is required.

Unfinished Yellow Belt Manual by Ed Parker

ATTACKING MACE (front – right step through straight punch)

1. With your feet together, drop back with your right foot toward 6:00 into a left neutral bow stance (facing 12:00), as you execute a left inward block to the outside of your opponent’s right punch. During this action, your right hand cocks forward and slightly to the right of your solar plexus (fist clenched and palm up). (This action will turn and momentarily check the width of your opponent’s body.)
2. Immediately pivot into a left forward bow stance as you execute a right straight horizontal thrust punch to the right lower ribcage of your opponent. Make sure that your left hand is open as it checks your opponent’s right elbow. (Your action should cause your opponent to bend forward at the waist, and to be forced back slightly.)
3. Circle your right hand clockwise so that it travels down, out, over, and around your opponent’s right arm as you countergrab the outside of his right wrist. Immediately pull your opponent’s arm diagonally and down past your right hip, while simultaneously delivering a right roundhouse kick to his groin. During this action, cock your left hand slightly above your left ribcage (fist clenched and palm up). (Your kick and pull should cause your opponent to bend forward even further, thus exposing his right kidney.)
4. Drop forward into a right forward bow toward 12:00, while simultaneously executing a left snapping vertical punch to your opponent’s right kidney, “with” your right leg ON AND OVER THE LINE OF ENTRY. (Make sure your right knee is inside of, but over your opponent’s right knee and pressing up against it. Your punch combined with your buckle will drop your opponent to the ground, as well as move him away from you.)

Notes

Variations