Raking Mace (Blue #8)

Raking Mace is the 8th required technique to obtain your blue belt in Ed Parker’s American Kenpo. Raking Mace is a defense against a two hand lapel grab where the attacker pulls you toward them, placing it in the Grabs & Tackles category of the Web of Knowledge as well as the Shoulder & Lapel Grab Family Group in the Grabs category of the Grappling division.

In Raking Mace you turn your opponent’s efforts to manipulate you into your own advantage by borrowing the force of your opponent’s pull to increase the force of your initial strike. You then use a series of close range strikes forcing your opponent to react in a predetermined manner to set up the next strike.

The Technique

Attack

In the ideal phase your attacker is directly in front of you (12:00). He proceeds to grab you at chest level (shirt or lapel) with both hands and pulls you toward him.

Defense

Raking Mace – defense for a two-hand lapel grab.

• Step 1
  • Pin your opponent’s hands to your chest with your left hand
  • Step forward with your right foot toward 12:00 into a right neutral bow stance
  • Deliver a right snapping uppercut punch to your opponent’s solar plexus
• Step 2
  • Circle your right hand counter clockwise
  • Deliver a right inward downward diagonal raking hammerfist strike to the bridge of your opponent’s nose.
  • Continue the motion striking down across your opponent’s forearms.
• Step 3
  • Deliver a right outward handsword strike to your opponent’s throat.
• Step 4
  • Deliver a right inward horizontal elbow strike to the left side of your opponent’s jaw.
  • Deliver a left inward heel palm strike to the right side of your opponent’s jaw.
• Step 5
  • Execute a right front crossover
  • Cover out twice toward 7:30.

Considerations

• What if…
  • your opponent has his right foot forward?
  • your opponent has his left foot forward?
  • your opponent is wearing a heavy coat?
  • your opponent pulls you forward and then attempts a front bear hug?
  • your opponent pulls you forward and then pushes you back?

Variations

• The right uppercut punch is sometimes replaced with a right middle knuckle strike, as taught in Tracy’s Striking Asp.
• Some schools will teach the handsword strike to the throat as a snapping strike following with the elbow in a circular fashion. This will generate more power for the elbow strike and allows for the clearing of your opponent’s arms in the event that they are still on you.
• Some schools will teach the handsword strike so that it remains at your opponent’s throat thus delivering the elbow as a collapsing elbow strike. This conserves energy, time and minimizes motion, however it is important to be sure the the downward strike on your opponent’s forearms sufficiently cleared them or collapsed them to prevent your opponent from pushing you away.
• A forward shuffle (push-drag) may be necessary if the distance between you and your opponent is increased after the handsword strike.

Notes

• Comparing Raking Mace with Mace of Aggression is an excellent discussion point as these two techniques are very similar.  Some things to consider would be:
  • The differences between the technique
  • How Mace of Aggression influences the way some teach Raking Mace
  • The Situations where one may be advantageous over the other
  • The Origin of Mace of Aggression and its place in yellow belt.
• Explore the method of pinning your attacker’s hands to your chest, particularly the leveraging of your opponent’s left wrist/hand in the process.

Additional Information

Name

In American Kenpo the term mace refers to the fist. In this technique you deliver the mace across the bridge of your opponent’s nose in a raking manner which has your knuckles raking across your opponent’s face. This gives us the name Raking Mace.

Related Techniques

• Mace of Aggression (Y-8)
• Lone Kimono (O-7)
• Snapping Twig (P-2)
• Hooking Wings (P-15)
• Twin Kimono (P-20)
• Cross of Death (G-18)

Historical Notes

• In the 1975 Accumulative Journal Raking Mace was Blue Belt Technique #6.
• The 1975 Accumulative Journal had you step toward 11:00 with your right foot on the initial move and indicated a 6:00 Angle of Departure.

Historical Versions

1975 Accumulative Journal

RAKING MACE (front two-hand lapel grab — pull in)

1. With feet together and as your opponent pulls you in, have your right foot step forward and to your left to 11 o’clock (into a right neutral bow). Simultaneously strike with a right uppercut punch to opponent’s solar plexus as your left hand horizontally pins both of opponent’s hands down.
2. Immediately have your right hand circle counter clockwise (while your left hand still guards) and have the knuckles of your right fist rake (from 1o’clock to 7 o’clock) down and across the bridge of opponent’s nose; continue the move and strike down (diagonally) on opponent’s forearm,
3. Follow-up with a right outward chop to opponent’s throat.
4. And a right inward horizontal elbow to the left jaw of your opponent as your left heel of palm simultaneously strikes to opponent’s right jaw to cause a sandwiching effect.
5. Right front crossover and cover out to 6 o’clock.