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PeterJ
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applications for an-makki from taeguek il-jang

I have been working on applications for an-makki - outerforearm inward block - from taeguek il-jang.

1, A foot sweep - the uppersit foot is in front - the foot is used to sweep the opponents foot, the blocking arm to put pressure on the chest/neck, the arm that does the hikite pulls the opponents arm in to fascilitate the sweep.

2. A way to get an underhook position like in wrestling.

3. The chambering of the blocking arm, blocks an incoming punch/swing and then hits the opponents ear/side of the head.

Does anyone use the same applications?

Does anyone have other applications for that specific movement? 

Nate
Nate's picture

I'm new to the Taegeuks, but to me it looks like the motion could be used to pull his arm in as you strike the elbow with the ulna side of your blocking arm.

Said another way, imagine the following:

I reach out with my left hand, grab my opponent's left arm (he's facing me), and pull it straight with my left arm as I "inside block" his elbow to break it.

I think that's why they're done so low, not at eye level (at least in my dojang).

That's my favorite so far, but let's see what others we can come up with!

-NS

Jon Sloan
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Haven't done these patterns myself in about 14 years now. I don't know why, but I thought they'd been dropped and replaced by something else.

Anyway, it's extremely difficult to actually break someone's limbs (arms or legs) as the body is specifically designed to compensate for extra sudden pressure from all sorts of angles. Yes, it is possible, of course, but highly unlikely. The best you can hope for is some ligament/tendon damage.

For self protection applications it is important to focus on ideas that have a high percentage of success. It's possible to strike the TW 11 or TW12 points, whilst simultaneously pulling the opponent's hand, with this movement. The usual result would be a straightening of his arm and body turn away from the direction the pain is coming from. Simply the body's natural reflex to move away from the source of pain.

That is a high percentage result from a blow to the arm in this way. You could look for applications around that idea.

It's also important to think of how your opponent reacts to stikes, grabs, pulls, etc. So, often when you see a blow or "block" aimed at chest height in a kata/poomse don't just think of it being aimed at the chest. Why would we do that? It's ineffective. Think about the movement you did before the strike/"block" as you'll often find that that was used to bring your opponent's head down to chest height for you to strike it.

Hope that helps.

Jon Sloan
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Also, another simple use for this motion can be when you've been grabbed, e.g. with his left hand. You move out to your right off his line of attack, still keeping your centreline focused into him, seizing his grabbing hand with your left hand. Whilst performing this "block" against his bent left arm, striking into the LI 10 or LI 11 points. Doing so will cause his arm to bend further away from you and across his own body, taking his free right hand away with it. It also turns his back slightly to you and drops his head toward you slightly. All manner of openings available to you now.

PeterJ
PeterJ's picture

Thanks alot for the answers. smiley Still, I feel there must be other applications to this movement. 

If the application is to either sieze a wrist or secure a hand thats grabbing you, and then put pressure on, or hit the opponents elbow, it would make sense to step back with the opposit foot, and apply the pressure both inward and downward, like the arae-makki=gedan barai. 

In this technique the "block" is made over the opposit foot. It is done both at 90 degrees and at 180 degrees. In the next taeguek - taeguek I-jang it is also done with a 270 degrees turn.

Jon Sloan
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It's hard to show you without a video but Iain does something very similar with various inside blocks in the heian katas. Believe me you do not NOT need to use a gedan barai to put pressure on the LI10 and 11 points. A simple inside movement with only slight downward movement will suffice and get the result I posted above.

Basically any kind of hard bone strike to the radial or ulnar nerves that run along the inside or otuside of the arms will give you a good result, usually bending their body toward you and opening them up for a follow up strike to the jaw.

Try this movement as described but striking the ulnar nerves on the inside of the arm. That'll drop his jaw into the follow up stepping reverse punch that you guys do in the poomse.

Here's a video that shows where they are:

PeterJ
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Thaks Jon. I will try to use the points you descibedwink

Jon Sloan
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Glad I could help. The best thing, as with most concepts, is to play around with it and see what works for you.

You could always use it as a release from a thai-style clinch too. He's got you in one. Reach underneath both his arms and hook your hand around the outside of his opposite arm into the crook of the arm. Lung5 more or less. Then turn sharply away through the direction you just moved your arm in and slam your shoulder (the same shoulder as arm that's being used to pass - essentially the 'blocking' arm) through both his arms at the same time.

Make sure you keep a grip (control) on one of his arms as you pop loose otherwise you'll be back to a 50/50 situation again. Step through and punch him on the jaw.

Again, a combination that matches these two movements from your poomse.

All combos usually have multiple applications, otherwise they'd be pretty poor tools in a self protection situation.

The thing with this is that your still maintaining a 'get control back and finish him after being grabbed' theme. It'll help the student remember this sequence as one for that type of situation.