Our opponent (to our right flank) has grabbed our right wrist with his left hand. The attack (grab) is classified as a snake and our defense will be the crane as we make use of the one legged stance and deliver our kicks. Like many of the beginning level techniques, the initial grab is not that great of a threat so the larger issue is how to take control of the timing and distance of the situation to nullify other likely attacks.
Lesson 1. Destabilize their base. If you cut down a tree at it's trunk, the rest of the tributary branches will also be laying on the ground. By stomping their left instep and striking their left knee you should cause sufficient destruction to their stance that the platform of launching their other weapons will be significantly hampered. Much like bombing a runway so the planes won't take off to begin with, reduce your opponent's firepower significantly by attacking the very stance that supports their ability to punch and kick. (Please note that while kicking our free hand is on guard in a positional check just in case a strike is already on the way.)
Lesson 2. The reach (and lack of) of a kick. Range is the most miscalculated factor of combat. Stomping an attacker on the instep requires close proximity. Likely, when your wrist is grabbed you are too far away to achieve this objective and will have to adjust to be closer to your opponent -- a "drag-step" maneuver will usually do the job. A kick has maximum reach when it is in direct line with the fulcrum point (hip) and as the arc goes beyond that point (higher or lower) the reach diminishes, Thus, the same type of kick to an opponent's instep will require you to be much closer than to his ribs. This is also why we can apply stomps and low kicks quickly and easilty to an opponent while also striking with our hands because these are all close range tactics.
Lesson 3. Do not rely on your opponent for balance. A common error in applying a stomp is to lean your body weight onto your stomping leg. This is dangerous because you striking a target that you are also leaning on for your balance. Just because the kick is very low does not allow you to place weight anywhere but on your support leg.
METHODS OF DRILL:
1. Drill the technique for both sides and with variations of your opponent's position (not always purely from the flank but also more behind you or more in front of you). Make sure also that the range of your opponent is also varied so you can adjust footwork to the different circumstances.
2. Practice the stomp on a bag. Lay a kicking shield or heavy bag on the floor and practice sliding up into your side stomp (both sides) to their instep. This not only improves your confidence in transferring power to the target but reinforces your footwork and understanding of distance to help the kick succeed.
3. Vary footwork options. The drag-step is the most common way of applying the opening stomp move in this technique. This creates a timing of sliding your support foot towards your kicking leg (and towards your opponent) and then kicking. Another option is to use the pull-drag maneuver which is less telegraphic because you initiate the kick first and allow it to pull your support leg towards your opponent in the process of delivering the stomp. Sometimes if more range needs to be covered than usual you can combine the two and drag-step and then also pull drag once the kick has been initiated. Another option is to use a very small lateral jump where the stomp is timed with your landing. This method is very fast, very strong, but more committed with less recovery options.
4. Diversify for a variety of grabs. There are very few cases when grabbed you couldn't stomp a guy somewhere! Play and experiment with one partner or an entire free for all "brawl" in class is always fun.
5. Graft into your other techniques. As an intro, in the middle of a technique, or at the end of another technique, add either the instep stomp or knee kick or both.
6. Rearrangement of order. Kicking the knee first then stomping the instep also has merit and should be drilled.
WHAT IS IN A NAME? Our opponent's grab is similar to the talon of a bird snatching its prey. The attack comes from the flank. Thus, "Flanking Talon."
Lesson 1. Destabilize their base. If you cut down a tree at it's trunk, the rest of the tributary branches will also be laying on the ground. By stomping their left instep and striking their left knee you should cause sufficient destruction to their stance that the platform of launching their other weapons will be significantly hampered. Much like bombing a runway so the planes won't take off to begin with, reduce your opponent's firepower significantly by attacking the very stance that supports their ability to punch and kick. (Please note that while kicking our free hand is on guard in a positional check just in case a strike is already on the way.)
Lesson 2. The reach (and lack of) of a kick. Range is the most miscalculated factor of combat. Stomping an attacker on the instep requires close proximity. Likely, when your wrist is grabbed you are too far away to achieve this objective and will have to adjust to be closer to your opponent -- a "drag-step" maneuver will usually do the job. A kick has maximum reach when it is in direct line with the fulcrum point (hip) and as the arc goes beyond that point (higher or lower) the reach diminishes, Thus, the same type of kick to an opponent's instep will require you to be much closer than to his ribs. This is also why we can apply stomps and low kicks quickly and easilty to an opponent while also striking with our hands because these are all close range tactics.
Lesson 3. Do not rely on your opponent for balance. A common error in applying a stomp is to lean your body weight onto your stomping leg. This is dangerous because you striking a target that you are also leaning on for your balance. Just because the kick is very low does not allow you to place weight anywhere but on your support leg.
METHODS OF DRILL:
1. Drill the technique for both sides and with variations of your opponent's position (not always purely from the flank but also more behind you or more in front of you). Make sure also that the range of your opponent is also varied so you can adjust footwork to the different circumstances.
2. Practice the stomp on a bag. Lay a kicking shield or heavy bag on the floor and practice sliding up into your side stomp (both sides) to their instep. This not only improves your confidence in transferring power to the target but reinforces your footwork and understanding of distance to help the kick succeed.
3. Vary footwork options. The drag-step is the most common way of applying the opening stomp move in this technique. This creates a timing of sliding your support foot towards your kicking leg (and towards your opponent) and then kicking. Another option is to use the pull-drag maneuver which is less telegraphic because you initiate the kick first and allow it to pull your support leg towards your opponent in the process of delivering the stomp. Sometimes if more range needs to be covered than usual you can combine the two and drag-step and then also pull drag once the kick has been initiated. Another option is to use a very small lateral jump where the stomp is timed with your landing. This method is very fast, very strong, but more committed with less recovery options.
4. Diversify for a variety of grabs. There are very few cases when grabbed you couldn't stomp a guy somewhere! Play and experiment with one partner or an entire free for all "brawl" in class is always fun.
5. Graft into your other techniques. As an intro, in the middle of a technique, or at the end of another technique, add either the instep stomp or knee kick or both.
6. Rearrangement of order. Kicking the knee first then stomping the instep also has merit and should be drilled.
WHAT IS IN A NAME? Our opponent's grab is similar to the talon of a bird snatching its prey. The attack comes from the flank. Thus, "Flanking Talon."