Darting Mace (Purple #14)

Darting Mace is the 14th required technique to obtain your purple belt in Ed Parker’s American Kenpo. Darting Mace is a defense against two hand right wrist grab from the front, placing it in the Grabs and Tackles category of the Web of Knowledge as well as the Wrist Grab Family Group in the Grabs category of the family groups Grappling division.

Darting Mace introduces you to the concept of ricocheting as you deliver a thrusting forearm strike that grafts into vertical thrust punch.  After your initial reaction, borrowed force and borrowed reach combined with opposing forces will break the grip.  Then you are introduced to half-beat timing is introduced as you deliver a transitory strike during a transitory stance en route to your final position to complete the technique.

The Technique

Attack

In the ideal phase your attacker is directly in front of you (12:00).  He steps forward with his right foot and grabs your right wrist with both hands.

Wrist grabs are used to force you into a desired position or to maintain control of your weapons (fists). Your opponent’s motive could be simply to intimidate you, drag you away, set you up for another strike, or set you up for another attacker to strike.

Defense

Darting Mace – defense for a double grab to your right wrist.

• Step 1
  • Counter grab your opponent’s right wrist with your right hand
  • Step forward toward 12:00 with your left foot to form a left neutral bow stance,
  • Deliver a left thrusting inward downward forearm strike to your opponent’s right elbow
  • continue the motion of your left arm to deliver a left ricocheting vertical thrust punch to your opponent’s face.
  • Pull your opponent’s right arm down on a 45° angle toward your right hip.
• Step 2
  • Pivot counterclockwise to form a left forward bow stance facing 12:00.
  • Check your opponent’s arms down against his body with a left push-down block.
  • Deliver a right vertical thrust punch to your opponent’s solar plexus or rib cage.
• Step 3
  • Slide your right foot toward 12:00 to form a right transitional 45° degree cat stance.
  • Deliver a left outward thrusting handsword strike to your opponent’s throat.
  • Cock your right fist to you right rib cage.
  • Continue to step forward forward toward 12:00 with your right foot into a right neutral bow stance, buckling your opponent’s right inner knee.
  • Deliver a right thrusting heel palm strike to your opponent’s jaw
  • Your left hand covers low.
• Step 5
  • Right front crossover
  • Cover out toward 6:00.

Notes

• During the initial step, the ideal position for your left leg would be just outside your opponent’s right leg so that you can buckle his right outer knee.
• The left inward downward block and the left vertical punch are the same motion. You punch ricochets off of your opponent’s forearm.
• On your left push down block your forearm should be horizontal across both of your opponent’s arms.

Considerations

• What if …
  • your opponent’s left foot is forward?
  • your opponent pulls you toward him?
  • your opponent attempts to turn you?
  • your opponent tries to lift your arm up?
  • your opponent tries to kick you (either foot) while holding your wrist?

Variations

• Some schools will teach delivering a right thrusting knee strike to the attacker’s groin as you step forward into a right neutral bow.  This knee strike is part of the extension at 1st Black in the 1975 Accumulative Journal.

Additional Information

Name

In American Kenpo, the term mace is used to represent a strike with a fist.  In this technique you will execute a punch in a very rapid darting manner, thus the name Darting Mace.

Related Techniques

• Attacking Mace (Y-9)
• Crossing Talon (O-13)
• Gripping Talon (B-20)
• Menacing Twirl (G-8)
• Taming the Mace (G-16)
• Cross of Death (G-18)
• Clipping the Storm (G-22)
• Circling Fans (3Br-3)
• Desperate Falcons (3Br-8)

Historical Notes

• In the 1975 Accumulative Journal, Darting Mace was purple belt requirement #15.
• The 1975 Accumulative Journal tells you to step in front of your opponent’s left leg, the 1987 IKKA Studio Manuals tells you to step between your opponent’s legs.
• The 1975 Accumulative Journal indicates an angle of departure toward 6:00 and the 1987 IKKA Studio Manuals indicate an angle of departure toward 7:30.

Historical Versions

1975 Accumulative Journal

DARTING MACE (font two-hand wrist grab)

1. With feet together and opponent’s hands grabbing your right wrist, step forward (toward 12 or 1 o’clock depending upon the position of your opponent’s feet) and in front of opponent’s right leg with your left foot (left neutral bow) as your right hand counter grabs opponent’s right wrist and your left forearm is used as a thrusting inward strike before converting to a left vertical punch to opponent’s face.
2. Drop your left arm down (while still in place) and horizontally across opponent’s arms as you pull your right hand out of your opponent’s grasp and immediately strike with your right fist (vertically to opponent’s solar plexus while shifting (in place) into a left forward bow.
3. As your left hand delivers an outward chop (palm down) to opponent’s throat (while your right hand guards low), simultaneously move your right foot up and alongside of your left foot into a right close cat stance.
4. Without hesitation step though into a right neutral bow between 11 and 12 o’clock with your right foot; stepping inside of and through opponent’s right knee in order to buckle as you deliver a right heel of palm thrust to opponent’s jaw and guard with your left hand.
5. Right front crossover and cover out to 6 o’clock.