Defying the Storm (Blue #7)

Defying The Storm is the 7th required technique to obtain your blue belt in Ed Parker’s American Kenpo.  Defying The Storm is a defense against a right roundhouse club attack from the front, placing it in the weapons category of the Web of Knowledge as well as the Sticks Family Group in the Weapons category of the Striking division.

In Defying the Storm you move inside the effective striking range of your opponent’s club. While similar to the theme of Calming the Storm, emphasis is placed on immediate destruction of the attacking arm. A push-pull effect (opposing forces) is then used to check to your opponent’s height and width zones in order to prevent retaliation.

The Technique

Attack

In the ideal phase your opponent is directly in front of you (12:00) in a left fighting stance. Your opponent proceeds to step forward with his right foot while delivering a right inward roundhouse club strike toward your heard.  It is assumed that it isn’t viable to evade or retreat from the attack

Defense

Defying the Storm – defense for a right inward roundhouse club strike.

• Step 1
  • Step toward 11:00 with your right foot to form a right neutral bow stance facing 11:00
  • As you plant your right foot, try to buckle the inside of your opponent’s right knee.
  • Deliver a left extended outward handsword strike to your opponent’s right wrist
  • Deliver a right inward handsword strike to your opponent’s right biceps.
• Step 2
  • Grab your opponent’s right wrist with your left hand.
  • Grab the back of your opponent’s right elbow with your right.
  • Step back with your right foot towards 4:30 to form a left forward bow stance facing 10:30.
  • Push your opponent’s right wrist away while pulling and rolling your opponent’s right elbow down and toward you to snap your opponent’s right elbow.
• Step 3
  • Deliver a right upward knee strike to your opponent’s sternum.
• Step 4
  • Plant your right foot forward into a right neutral bow stance.
  • Deliver a right inward overhead elbow strike to your opponent’s upper spine.
  • Maintain control of your opponent’s right wrist.
• Step 5
  • Execute a right front crossover and double cover out toward 7:30

Considerations

• What if…
  • your opponent does not step through?
  • your opponent aims for your torso or legs?
  • your opponent swings at you double handed (like a baseball bat)?
  • your opponent uses a knife, chain or staff instead of a club?
  • your opponent misses (or you evade) and follows up with a right outward swing?
  • your opponent swings with an inward downward diagonal path?
  • your opponent strikes with a left outward horizontal roundhouse club attack

Notes

• Striking the Biceps and Radial nerve will cause your opponent’s arm to become numb and the club could go flying somewhere between 3:00 and 6:00. Be sure that you are inside your opponent’s right arm to avoid being hit by the club. It is also important to assume that your opponent will not lose the club and always be aware of the club’s position.
• To achieve the proper effect on your opponent’s right arm, be sure to twist your opponent’s right wrist counter clockwise (or away from you) as you roll the elbow down and towards you.
• During the push-pull effect, be sure to anchor your right elbow and utilize a rolling action on your opponent’s elbow.
• Synchronize your right upward knee strike with the bending over of your opponent. This will take advantage of borrowed force maximizing the effect.

Variations

• Some schools specifically define that you use a crane’s hook to grab your opponent’s right elbow while others find it more practical to use an open hand and get your fingers all the way around to maximize the rolling effect.  The key is to not separate your thumb from the rest of the hand, opening it up to be broken by a sudden movement of your opponent.
• It was almost always taught, although rarely seen documented, that while executing your right front crossover you should deliver a right sweep kick to your opponent’s right foot (if in range) and grab your opponent’s club with your right hand (if he still has it).

Additional Information

Name

In American Kenpo the term storm is used to represent a club attack. In this technique you are defying the club attack (storm) by stepping directly into it and meeting it head on.  This act of defiance gives us the name Defying the Storm.

Related Techniques

• Thrusting Salute (O-4)
• Five Swords (O-9)
• Locked Wing (O-17)
• Calming The Storm (P-13)
• Spiraling Twig (P-22)
• Returning Storm (B-14)
• Defying the Rod (2Br-22)

Historical Notes

• In the 1975 Accumulative Journal, Defying The Storm was blue belt technique #5
• The 1975 Accumulative Journal indicates stepping back toward 5:00 with your right foot.
• The 1975 Accumulative Journal indicates a 6:00 Angle of Departure.
• Some copies of the 1987 IKKA Studio Manuals have a mistake telling you to grab your opponent’s left wrist with your left hand.

Historical Versions

1975 Accumulative Journal

DEFYING THE STORM (front right roundhouse club)

1. With feet together, step forward and to your left with your right foot to 11 o’clock (into a right neutral bow) as your opponent steps through with his right foot delivering a right roundhouse club attack.
2. As your right foot steps through to 11 o’clock, have your right knee buckle on the inside of your opponent’s right knee while simultaneously striking his right wrist with your left extended outward chop and his right bicep with your right inward chop.
3. Immediately step back with your right foot to 5 o’clock (into a left forward bow) as your left hand grabs (at opponent’s left wrist) and pushes out and away, simultaneously while your right hand grabs back of your opponent’s right elbow and pulls down and toward you to snap the joint. This is done while anchoring your right elbow past your right hip.
4. Follow-up with a right knee kick to opponent’s sternum and as you plant your right foot forward (to 11 o’clock) into a right neutral bow, bury a right inward overhead downward elbow strike to opponent’s upper spine with your left hand still grabbing opponent’s right wrist, keeping it over to the left side.
5. Cover out to 6 o’clock.