Charging Ram (EPAK Purple #8)

Charging Ram is the 8th required technique to obtain your purple belt in Ed Parker’s American Kenpo. Charging Ram is a defense against a tackle from the front with your opponent’s arms extended wide, placing it in the Grabs & Tackles category of the Web of Knowledge as well as the Tackles Family Group in the family groups Grappling division.

In Charging Ram you are introduced to countering a tackle. You get out of the line of attack while checking your opponent’s arm and head.  While employing zone control you you intercept your opponent as he passes by delivering counter strikes with both your hands and feet.

Defense

Charging Ram¹ – defense for a front tackle.

• Step 1
  • Slide your left foot toward 3:00 to form a right front twist stance facing 9:00,
  • Deliver a left outward palm downward parry to the outside of your attacker’s left arm,
  • Your right hand cocks high.
• Step 2
  • Pivot counter clockwise to form a right neutral bow stance facing 9:00,
  • Deliver a right inward overhead handsword strike to the back of your opponent’s neck,
  • Left hand covers low.
• Step 3
  • Slide your right foot back into a 45° cat stance (transitional),
  • Deliver a right front snapping instep kick to your opponent’s solar plexus or left rib cage.
  • Immediately follow with a left front snapping ball kick to your opponent’s face or solar plexus (this should be done in a chicken kick fashion).
• Step 4
  • Without planting your left foot;
  • Left front crossover and cover out toward 1:30.

Charging Ram² – defense for a front tackle with arms extended apart.

• Step 1
  • Slide your left foot toward 3:00 to form a right twist stance facing 9:00,
  • Deliver a right outward downward parry to the inside of your opponent’s left arm,
  • Deliver a left outward heel palm parry to the left side of your opponent’s head,
• Step 2
  • Pivot counter clockwise into a right neutral bow stance facing 9:00,
  • Deliver a right inward overhead handsword strike to the back of your opponent’s neck
  • Left hand checks your opponent’s left shoulder.
• Step 3
  • Slide your right foot back into a 45° cat stance (transitional),
  • Deliver a right front snapping ball kick to your attacker’s left rib cage.
• Step 4
  • Plant your right foot forward,
  • Deliver a left roundhouse kick to your opponent’s face.
• Step 5
  • Without planting your left foot,
  • Left front crossover and cover out toward 1:30.

Additional Information

Name

In American Kenpo, the term Ram is used to symbolize a tackle. In this technique your opponent is charging toward you in an attempt to ram (tackle) you, thus the name Charging Ram.

Attack

In the Ideal Phase your opponent is in front of you (12:00). Your attacker attempts to tackle you at the waistline by charging from the front with his lead low and arms open, either shoulder width or spread wide, in order to grab hold of you.

A tackle is basically a grab in motion and they can pose a problem or be easily defended against depending on your reaction.  Tackling is primarily used to take someone to the ground although it can be used to grab hold of someone and run them into another object.  The person tackling you will most likely be larger or stronger than you and is confident that once you are on the ground they can maintain control over you.

Concepts & Principles

• Angle of Cancellation
• Angle of Deflection
• Angle of Deviation
• Angle of Disturbance
• Angle of Incidence
• Backup Mass
• Borrowed Force
• Continuity of Motion
• Control Manipulation
• Contouring
• Counter Balance
• Gauging
• Grafting
• Line of Attack
• Marriage of Gravity
• Point of Origin
• Preparatory Torque
• Shortening the Circle
• Torque

Considerations

• What if …
  • your opponent’s head is up?
  • your opponent dives for your legs?
  • your opponent wraps his arm or arms around your body?
  • your opponent pins one or both of your arms?
  • your opponent lifts you off the ground and carries you along?
  • you are unable to evade to the sides?

Related Techniques

• Five Swords (O-9)
• Bow of Compulsion (P-18)
• Broken Ram (B-23)
• Intercepting the Ram (G-20)

Historical Notes

• In the 1975 Accumulative Journal, Charging Ram was Purple Belt Technique #9.
• The 1975 Accumulative Journal version teaches the defense with the attackers arms about shoulder width apart, has you clear the arm from the outside as you cock your right hand for the downward handsword strike and finishes with a two front snapping ball kicks
• The 1987 IKKA Studio Manuals teach the defense with the attacker’s arms wide apart, has you clear the head and arm from inside the attackers left arm then continue the clearing motion of the right arm into the downward handsword strike and finishes with a front ball, roundhouse kick combination
• The 1975 Accumulative Journal indicates planting your right foot at about the 8:00-9:00 position, the 1987 IKKA Studio Manual version does not indicate where to plant your right foot. Later on this was modified to a chicken kick style without planting the foot.
• The 1975 Accumulative Journal indicates a 2:00 Angle of Departure, the 1987 IKKA Studio Manuals indicate a 1:30 Angle of Departure

Historical Versions

1975 Accumulative Journal

CHARGING RAM (front tackle)

1. Standing with feet together, shift (by sliding) your left foot to 3 o’clock (into a right neutral bow) and have your left hand parry opponent’s left arm down and out (left downward outward parry). Simultaneously deliver a right overhead downward chop to opponent’s neck as your left hand guards at groin level.
2. Immediately (dropping into a right 45° cat stance in the transition) deliver a right snapping ball kick to opponent’s left ribcage, kicking toward 9 o’clock.
3. Plant your right foot slightly forward (between 8 and 9 o’clock) and deliver a left snapping ball kick to left jaw of opponent, kicking toward 8 o’clock.
4. With your left kick still in the air left front crossover and cover out to 2 o’clock.

1987 IKKA Studio Manual

CHARGING RAM (Front – Tackle with your opponent’s arms extended wide)

1. From a right neutral bow slide your left foot toward 3:00 into a right neutral bow facing 9:00.  As you redirect your opponent’s left arm down and out with a right outside downward parry, execute a left outward heel palm parry to the left side of your opponent’s head.  As you settle into your stance, execute a right inward overhead handsword to the back of your opponent’s neck, while sliding your left hand to your opponent’s left shoulder as a check. (This should stun or stagger your opponent.)
2. With your opponent descending, but still moving slightly forward, slide your right foot into a cat stance (facing 7:30) as you immediately snap a right front ball kick to your opponent’s left rib cage. (This kick should inflict pain that will momentarily immobilize your opponent.)
3. Plant your right foot forward (GAUGING LEG) as you deliver a left roundhouse kick to your opponent’s face. (This should drive your opponent’s head back)
4. Without planting, flow into a left front crossover and cover out toward 1:30.

Notes

• It is important to remember that as you move out of your attacker’s line of attack, your opponent’s forward momentum will carry him past you.  Thus your angles of attack will be entirely dependent on your opponent’s position and you may even need to move towards him in order to finish your strikes. Your partner should allow you to practice by moving slow but it is also important that they continue the forward motion at full speed once you are comfortable with the steps so you can adjust accordingly and know what to expect in a real situation.

Variations

Due to the differences in the way your opponent attacks between the older and newer versions of this technique there are two final variations of this technique as Ed Parker continued to teach both variations alternating one or the other as a solution to the “What If…” scenarios.

• Some schools teach them both with one being a variant or what if solution.
• Some schools will stick with the older version since Broken Ram sufficiently covers the front tackle with arms wide open.
• Some will teach the earlier version as the Purple Belt technique and then switch to the newer version when doing the technique with extension in 1st Black.

It is in the best interest of the Kenpo student for the Instructor to teach both variants and for the student to be aware of differences between the two.

The left snapping instep kick to your attacker’s solar plexus could be a left front snapping instep kick to the solar plexus or the abdomen.