Triggered Salute (EPAK Orange #2)

Triggered Salute is the second technique required to obtain your orange belt in Ed Parker’s American Kenpo. Triggered Salute is a defense against a right hand push to your left shoulder from the front. This places Triggered Salute into the Pushes category in the Web of Knowledge as well as the Pushes Family group in the Family Groups Striking Division.

Triggered Salute is an interesting technique. Even though you should defend a push prior to it making contact, this technique is just as effective if your opponent does make contact.  Either way you end up using your opponent’s aggressiveness against them. In Triggered Salute you learn how to slip past an aggressive attempt using your opponent’s force to your advantage as well as use his action to trigger your reaction. You will then use checking and anchoring to enhance stability and power in conjunction with a continuous flow of strikes to control your opponent’s height, width and depth zones.

Defense

Triggered Salute – defense for a right hand direct push

• Step 1
  • Step toward 11:00 with your right foot to form a right neutral bow stance, buckling your opponent’s right knee.
  • Pin your opponent’s right hand to your chest with your left hand (maintain through the entire technique),
  • Deliver a right thrusting heel palm strike to your opponent’s chin.
• Step 2
  • Form a crane head with your right hand
  • hook behind his right elbow
  • pull the opponent’s right arm down and to your right.
• Step 3
  • Deliver a right inward horizontal elbow strike to your opponent’s solar plexus or right rib cage being sure to follow through.
• Step 4
  • Deliver a a right outward horizontal elbow strike to your opponent’s right floating ribs.
• Step 5
  • Follow through with a right outward horizontal back knuckle strike to your opponent’s right kidney or floating rib.
• Step 6
  • Finish with a right snapping uppercut punch underneath your opponent’s chin.
• Step 7
  • Right front crossover and cover out toward 6:00.

Additional Information

Name

The name Triggered Salute stems from the fact that your initial reaction, triggered by your opponent’s attack, is a heel palm strike to the face which resembles an ancient way of rendering a salute used in many ancient cultures.  The term salute in American Kenpo names will always represent a heel palm strike. 

Attack

In the ideal phase of attack has your opponent directly in front of you.  He steps forward with his right foot as he pushes you with his right hand directly to your left shoulder.

A push or shove like this usually is the result of a verbal confrontation and is the first step towards a full blown fight.  A push is usually followed by a punch or a grab, therefore it is important to act at the right moment in order to best defend yourself.  Ideally you would like to prevent a push from ever making contact thus placing pushes in the striking category of  attacks along with punches and kicks .  In some cases, when contact is unavoidable, a push that lands can be used to greatly enhance your defense.

Considerations

• What if …
  • your opponent attempts a right lapel grab?
  • your opponent throws a right punch at your face instead?
  • your opponent pushes with his left hand to your left shoulder (cross push)?
  • your opponent punches with his left hand before you execute your heel palm?
  • your opponent bends too far forward after hooking his elbow that you can not reach his rib cage?
  • your opponent is much shorter than you?
  • your opponent is much taller than you?
  • your back is against a wall?

Related Techniques

• Mace of Aggression
• Glancing Salute
• Gripping Talon
• Brushing the Storm
• Falling Falcon
• Intellectual Departure

Historical Versions

1975 Accumulative Journal

TRIGGERED SALUTE (front right hand direct push)

1. Standing naturally while opponent pushes your left shoulder with his right hand, step forward and to your left with your right foot to 11 o’clock (into right neutral bow) to buckle on the Inside of opponent’s right knee. Simultaneously pin opponent’s right hand with your left (against your left shoulder) and strike opponent’s chin with a right forward heel palm thrust.
2. Immediately shift your right hand to 11 o’clock forming the shape of the crane (anchor elbow) and hook opponent’s right arm down before cocking your right arm to your right hip and deliver a right Inward horizontal elbow strike to opponent’s solar plexus.
3. After following through with first elbow shot, deliver a right outward horizontal elbow strike to opponent’s right floating ribs (palm down).
4. Without hesitation, follow-up with a right horizontal back knuckle strike to opponent’s right floating ribs or kidney and immediately cock your right fist to your right hip.
5. Without any loss of motion execute a right vertical back knuckle thrust up and under opponent’s chin while your left hand remains pinning your opponents right hand against your left shoulder.

Unfinished Orange Belt Manual by Ed Parker

TRIGGERED SALUTE (Front right hand direct push)

1. While standing naturally your opponent pushes your left shoulder with his right hand. Immediately and simultaneously (1) turn your left shoulder counterclockwise and ride your opponent’s right push as you (2) step forward with your right foot into a right neutral bow (between ll:00 and 12:00), (3) buckle the inside of your opponent’s right knee with your right knee, (4) thrust a right heel palm strike to your opponent’s chin, as you (5) have your left hand pin and check your opponent’s right hand to your chest. (Your opponent’s head should snap back and away from you.)
2. Forecasting the response of your opponent’s upper body, (1) frictionally slide your right hand down your opponent’s right arm while forming the shape of a crane (making sure to anchor your elbow), (2) hook your opponent’s right arm down and toward 5:30; (3) ROUND THE CORNER with your right arm as (4) you unhesitatingly deliver a right inward horizontal elbow strike to your opponent’s solar plexus. (The frictional pull will bring your opponent’s upper body forward and diagonally to his right. The force of your elbow strike should make him bend forward at the waist.)
3. After following through with your right inward elbow strike, deliver a right outward horizontal elbow strike to your opponent’s right floating ribs. (This should cause your opponent to bend even further.)
4. Using RESIDUAL TORQUE, follow-up with a right outward horizontal back knuckle strike to your opponent’s right floating ribs or kidney, and immediately cock your right fist to your right hip. (Your repeated follow-ups should magnify the damage to his ribs).
5. Without any loss of motion, thrust a right vertical back knuckle strike (right fist is inverted and horizontal) up and under your opponent’s chin while your left hand continues to pin your opponent’s right hand against your left shoulder. (This Contouring Fit should drive your opponent’s head back.)
6. Right front crossover, and cover out toward 7:30.

Notes

Variations