Clutching Feathers (EPAK Orange #1)

Clutching Feather’s is the first technique required to obtain your orange belt in Ed Parker’s American Kenpo and it is a defense against a left hand hair grab from the front placing it in the Grabs & Tackles category of the Web of Knowledge as well as the Hair Grab Family Group in the Grabs category of the Family Groups Grappling Division.

Clutching Feathers stresses the need to cancel ensuing threats starting with the use of a pinning check to hold your target in place as you strike a sensitive area, you make use of a positional block while simultaneously following with another strike which also serves to neutralize your opponent’s other weapons. Finally you will make use of pivoting to generate power for your final counter strike.  The common factor in all of these steps is the emphasis places on Point of Origin.

Defense

Clutching Feathers – defense for a left hand hair grab.

• Step 1
  • Pin your opponent’s left hand to your head with your left hand,
  • Step toward 6:00 with your left foot to form a right neutral bow stance,
  • Deliver a right thrusting middle knuckle fist strike to your opponent’s left armpit.
• Step 2
  • Pivot clockwise to form a right forward bow stance.
  • Deliver a right extended outward block to the inside of your opponent’s left forearm.
  • Execute a left thrusting heel palm strike to your opponent’s chin.
• Step 3
  • Pivot counterclockwise to form a right neutral bow stance.
  • Deliver a right inward downward diagonal raking hammerfist strike across your opponent’s face.
  • Left hand covers low.
• Step 4
  • Right crossover and cover out toward 7:30.

Additional Information

Name

The name Clutching Feathers comes from the term feathers being used to symbolize the hair and clutching being a synonym for grabbing.  Therefore the name of the technique describes the attack in which your opponent is grabbing (clutching) your hair (feathers).

Attack

In the ideal phase your attacker is directly in front of you. Your opponent steps forward with his left foot and grabs your hair with his left hand.

A hair grab is generally painful as the hair is pulled in an effort to control you.  Hair grabs can be used by themselves to inflict pain, or control you.  They can also be used to set you up for a strike with the right hand.  Thus first step of this technique not only serves to control the attacker’s grabbing hand but also serves to relieve the pain which can distract you from exercising a proper defense. So it is important that you act and act quickly.

Considerations

• Situational – What if …
  • your opponent does not step forward?
  • your opponent steps forward with his right foot instead?
  • your opponent yanks your head down?
  • your opponent follows the hair grab with a right punch?
  • your opponent follows the hair grab with a right uppercut punch?
  • your opponent attempts to throw a right punch after the heel palm strike?
  • your opponent attempts to throw a right kick after the heel palm strike?

Related Techniques

• Sword of Destruction
• Lone Kimono
• Shielding Hammer
• Snapping Twig
• Hooking Wings
• Bow of Compulsion
• Glancing Spear

Historical Notes

• The 1975 Accumulative Journal ends the technique with the heel palm to the face. It also splits the process of getting there into two moves.

Historical Versions

1975 Accumulative Journal

CLUTCHING FEATHERS (front left hand hair grab)

1. Standing naturally, step straight back (to 6 o’clock) with your left foot, simultaneously pin opponent’s left hand with your left as you deliver a right vertical middle finger fist to opponents left armpit pivoting into a right neutral bow in the process.
2. While in a neutral bow, strike inside of opponent’s left arm with a right vertical outward block while cocking your left hand lo your left hip (palm up).
3. Shift into a right forward bow as you deliver a left heel palm thrust to opponent’s jaw while switching your right vertical outward block into a right extended outward block, keeping it in place for protection as well as in position for the next move.

Unfinished Orange Belt Manual by Ed Parker

CLUTCHING FEATHERS (Front left hand hair grab)

1. Standing naturally, step back toward 6 o’clock with your left foot into a right neutral bow (facing 12 o’clock). Simultaneously pin your opponent’s left hand to your head with your left hand as you thrust a right vertical middle-knuckle fist to your opponent’s left armpit.  (This action should cause your opponent to bend forward.)
2. As your opponent begins to bend over and toward you, pivot into a right forward bow (facing 12:00) as you deliver a left thrusting heel palm strike to your opponent’s jaw, simultaneous “with” a right extended outward block to the inside of your opponent’s left forearm. (Your opponent’s head should snap back.)
3. Immediately pivot back into a right neutral bow (facing 12:00) while delivering a right inward raking back knuckle strike diagonally across the bridge of your opponent’s nose (to cause a corrugated effect).
4. Right front crossover, and cover out toward 7:30.

Notes

Variations