Grafting Techniques

[Kirk]

Our instructor had us doing some seriously cool (for my level)
stuff tonight. An attacker came at you with a right front kick. You
executed Deflecting Hammer, and then an orange belt technique.
At first I was like, "WHAT?!?!" but he had me choose a tech. I
went with my favorite thus far, Five Swords. My instructor does
deflecting hammer, then takes a step with his left foot, and ends
up behind the guy .. and he does five swords, but to the back
of the head, the kidneys, wherever, and then pulls the guy so
that he's bent over backwards, where he'd hit with the last
hit, to the solar plexus. I was amazed by it. Then I was totally
freaked out at the fact that it just came out of me as if I'd done it
before! I was doing it and thinkin', "What the hell are my arms
doing?!?!?" It kicked so much butt! And the realization of it all,
made me feel kinda stupid. Like doing some other technique,
where instead of hitting the ribs, ya his the kidney, or instead
of the face, between the shoulder blades, etc. So tonight was
both good and bad LOL!

 

[Goldendragon7]

The "blending" or grafting of movements (or techniques) starts the process of realization that there are endless combinations of actions one can do, either offensively or defensively.

I personally don't start this type of training until Brown or early Black Belt level. I establish a very strong base and coordination level first then move into variation.

It definitely is an integral part of complete training in Kenpo........ Have fun. Don't get sidetracked for too long and constantly focus on your Basics (the heart of the Art).

:asian:

 

[Kirk]

Originally posted by GoldenDragon7
Don't get sidetracked for too long

I don't follow what you mean, could you please
explain? Sidetracked with grafting?

 

[Sanxiawuyi]

I say, don’t get caught up in techniques. The following, taken from my site, is Flow Drills and Grafting Techniques of American and Traditional Kenpo:

"Kenpo employs linear as well as circular moves, utilizing intermittent power when and where needed, interspersed with minor and major moves which flow with continuity. It is flexible in thought and action so to blend with encounters as they occur." - Ed Parker

I have found that in most Kenpo Studios I have been to, whether they were American or Traditional, that the students could perform the techniques flawlessly in the air or when they knew what attack was coming. But as soon as you put them in the ring or throw a unrehearsed/unknown attack, the Kenpo techniques go out the window.

There are many reasons for this, including:

Lack of proper mind set. You must be focused!

Train for this by sparing and practicing with an opponent throwing unrehearsed/unknown attacks.

Another way, which was brought to my attention by a close friend and great Kenpoist, is to watch reality-based programs. By watching a program such you can analyze the situation as a third person to see how you would react in a similar situation (hopefully not on Jerry Springer).

Always be in a state of readiness and standing in a natural posture.

Hick’s Law of Reaction/Response time: "Reaction time increases significantly when you must decide which response or techniques is most important for the threat." That’s why Family Groupings are so important. It breaks down the techniques into lesser amounts of information to deal with.


Flow Drills:

One technique is not always going to work in a situation. Things can change in a millisecond, so you have to be able to adapt to any situation.

Take the technique Delayed Sword for example, which is found in both American and Traditional Kenpo:

Defense against a right lapel push/grab or punch.

Step back with your left foot into a right neutral bow (fighting horse) stance, simultaneously delivering a right inward block and checking with your left hand.

American Kenpo Technique Flow:
Five Swords
Unfurling Crane
Defying The Storm
Etc.


Traditional Kenpo Technique Flow:
Five Swords
Seven Swords
Arching Blades
Etc.


Next deliver a right ball (thrust) kick to groin.
American Kenpo Technique Flow:

Circling Fans
Etc.
Traditional Kenpo Technique Flow:

The Rake
Etc.

Plant your right foot down (checking opponent’s right leg).

Execute a right chop to opponent’s neck or right backhand to temple.


As you can see you can practice and develop flow drills of your own quite easily.



Next I would like to talk about Grafting:

If you analyze techniques you will notice all techniques have some combination of the following basics:

Blocks
Strikes
Kicks
Stances


The goal of grafting is to take bits and pieces of techniques and graft them on demand, much like we did in the flow drill or like the equation principle in American Kenpo, the difference being not thinking specific technique but rather going with the basics you have learned and creating a continues flow of motion.

Look at each self-defense technique as a mini kata (form) and learn what you can take from it. Lets for example take a technique like Twin Kimono (American) or Kimono Grab (Traditional).

The technique is for a grab, but what if that grab turns out to be a punch? Do you stop and regroup? NO! In that split second, you would be struck. The right forearm that was to be used as a elbow break can now become a block and you flow from there.

Know your basics!!

Find someone you can trust and practice unrehearsed/situational self-defense with.

For example, what works when your back’s against a wall, you’re in a corner, leaning at a bar, etc.

Practice these situations!

Know your basics!!

Sanxiawuyi
The Kenpo Exchange

:asian:

P.S. I highly recommend Tim Bulot's Kenpo Grafting Series of Videos.

 

[Kirk]

Originally posted by Sanxiawuyi
but rather going with the basics you have learned and creating a
continuous flow of motion.

I can understand this, but how do you change it once you
progress and learn more? Won't you be used to limiting yourself
to the flow taught early on?

Originally posted by Sanxiawuyi
P.S. I highly recommend Tim Bulot's Kenpo Grafting Series of Videos.

Thanks for the tip ... I've seen his tech videos broken down by
colored belt, they're very good.

 

[Robbo]

There are 3 stages to learning,

1) Ideal phase
2) What if phase
3) Spontaneous Phase

1) Ideal Phase - the technique is practise exactly as shown and perfected so that you shoudn't have to think about it, just do it against the set attack.

2) Once you have 1) down then you can start playing with the technique in different surrounding, attacks, etc.
(you have to feel comfortable with executing the defense on anything that can come your way).

3) Theoretically once you have 2) down then you should be practising awareness and be able to defend yourself in any situation with the techniques you have practised though these stages.

*note: grafting comes somewhat after these stages when you have built up your arsenal and start to see similiar flows to the techniques and can add or subtract movements at will

**note: if you start grafting too soon you can jeapordize the process of internalizing the seperate techniqes that will later become your library of motion

***note: even though you don't actively pursue grafting until higher levels glimpses of this sometimes show up in gradings. If during your grading you make a mistake and flow from one tech into another and end up doing a 'made-up' technique be proud of yourself as you've just got a glimpse of what Kenpo can be.

Yours,
Rob

P.S. there is also compunding and inserting to worry about

 

[Goldendragon7]

Kirk,

Once you have established a strong base of techniques then you need to become versatile. Like the Professional basketball or football player you know and practice your basic patterns but you also develop a "6th sense" and become gaseous.

hopefully.....

:asian:

 

[Blindside]

Hi,

Many studios wait for their students to develop their basic techniques before introducing their students to the "what if" concepts.

We don't.

At our school, once you have your basics, and by that I mean your basic blocks, hand, and foot weapons you get to experience the "what if" scenarios. Our usual instructions for this are "get offline, block the attack, take three vitals." Usually, by purple they can flow pretty well against completely random attacks. Often students will develop preferred combinations that may be from a set tech or not, that they flow into all the time. Like the guy who makes 5 swords work for dang near anything. We then try to break them of this habit, and to get them to vary their responses.

I think it has worked well for our school, though at early stages it is difficult on the student because it is hard to get to the point instinctual response.

Lamont

 

[D.Cobb]

Before a student begins grafting, shouldn't he/she be familiarised with ' Family Groupings' or Family Related Moves',that way they won't end up tripping over their own feet in the middle of a technique?
--Dave

 

[Blindside]

"Before a student begins grafting, shouldn't he/she be familiarised with ' Family Groupings' or Family Related Moves',that way they won't end up tripping over their own feet in the middle of a technique?"

Not in my opinion, you can graft two completely unrelated moves depending on where, when, and what you are reacting to. I also think that over-intellectualizing what should be instinctive self-defense, is detrimental to the initial learning of the subject. Is learning family groupings valuable, of course, but I don't think it is necessary to teach grafting.

As an aside, the overuse of kenpo jargon occaisionally bothers me. Visiting AK schools I have watched students debate whether a movement is a "whipping motion" or a "hammering motion" when they should be running the technique line. Come on guys, lets BANG!

Lamont

 

[Sanxiawuyi]

Originally posted by Blindside

As an aside, the overuse of kenpo jargon occaisionally bothers me. Visiting AK schools I have watched students debate whether a movement is a "whipping motion" or a "hammering motion" when they should be running the technique line. Come on guys, lets BANG! Lamont

Hey Lamont,

I absolutely agree 100% with you about all the Kenpo terminology. I experienced the exact same thing when I visited an American Kenpo school for a while. The people there were more concerned with the terms then if they were performing the techniques and movements correctly, or just getting it on.

Sanxiawuyi
:asian:

 

[Goldendragon7]

That it greatly depends upon which and who's AK Studio you visit. Don't judge all AK studios by some. ** wink **

:asian:

 

[WilliamTLear]

Originally posted by Sanxiawuyi


The people there were more concerned with the terms then if they were performing the techniques and movements correctly, or just getting it on.

Some people call the over-emphasis of Kenpo terminology ARMCHAIR KENPO. I have seen everything under the sun as it relates to this topic, and think that practicing the art is more important than studying the terminology.

Don't get me wrong, the terminology is very important, but a practitioner is going to be in a lot of trouble is he can't put his money where his mouth is and defend himself/herself if the circumstance should arrive.

Practice first/Talk later,
Bill Lear

 

[Klondike93]

Originally posted by WilliamTLear



Some people call the over-emphasis of Kenpo terminology ARMCHAIR KENPO. I have seen everything under the sun as it relates to this topic, and think that practicing the art is more important than studying the terminology.

Don't get me wrong, the terminology is very important, but a practitioner is going to be in a lot of trouble is he can't put his money where his mouth is and defend himself/herself if the circumstance should arrive.

Practice first/Talk later,
Bill Lear

:cheers:

Yeah, what he said.


:asian:

Chuck

 

[Sanxiawuyi]

Originally posted by WilliamTLear



Some people call the over-emphasis of Kenpo terminology ARMCHAIR KENPO. I have seen everything under the sun as it relates to this topic, and think that practicing the art is more important than studying the terminology.

Practice first/Talk later,
Bill Lear

Well said! :cheers:

Armchair Kenpo, man that is great, I have got to use that.

Sanxiawuyi

 

[Blindside]

"That it greatly depends upon which and who's AK Studio you visit. Don't judge all AK studios by some. ** wink **"

Hi Mr. C,
I absolutely agree and think that this is really related to the individual studio and where a student is in his path. I noticed the greatest tendency among the green/brown level where they are starting to really breakdown their motion, and are grasping for all the terminology they can get. The black belts have got the terms and can go, and the lower belts just wanna pound someone.

However, the same thing can happen when the instructor starts giving out too many of these terms when teaching a subject and a beginner thinks they need to understand all these concepts before they can move.

Lamont




:soapbox:

 

[WilliamTLear]

I WILL NOT SACRIFICE MY TRAINING TIME ON THE MAT FOR TALK TIME. I AM NOT GOING TO PAY MY MONEY TO HEAR SOMEONE TALK FOR 45 MINUTES, AND TRAIN FOR 10 MINUTES!!!

The terminology was added by Mr. Parker to define movements and clarify why we do them. The terminology is an integral part of a practitioners training, because it serves as a vehicle for an instructor to impart knowledge to his or her students. It isn't, however, the end all be all of the art.

A good example would be comparing a Structural Engineer, architect, and construction worker. The arcitect knows how to draw blue prints, the construction can build the building, but the Engineer not only knows how to do both, but he is also capable of dealing with issues that may not be accounted for in the plans.

A good construction worker can build by himself, just by eye balling it. In the end his house may be solid or it might be flemsy. At least it was built and sheltered him from the elements.

An architect can only draw. While blue prints aren't necessary, it is still a good idea to have a plan to follow. It makes it a faster process, offers direction, and gives the construction worker an idea of what the end result should look like.

A good engineer can do both. He not only knows the hows and whys of the blue print, but he can also improvise on the construction site. This gives him the ability to deal with things that don't appear on the plan, while garunteeing the stability of the house.

Mr. Parker was an engineer of motion. Not only could he put it together, but he could also back it up. I don't think he intended his art to be terminoligy, and I don't think he wanted us to be mindless followers. I think that he wanted his students (and their students) to not only be capable of building, but also capable of doing it well.

The most important part of Kenpo is learning the mechanics to a point of second nature. The next most important thing is knowing why you do what you do, so that you can improvise effectively if the situation arrises and teach effectively when the opportunity presents itself!

:idunno:

If you never practice, all you are going to get stuck with are some really nice ideas and words.

Bill Lear

 

[Kenpo viking]

Well spoken William

Only on the mat you will know who is who.


Respectfully

Ingmar Johansson
Ed Parker's kenpo karate Sweden





:viking2: :viking3:

 

[Goldendragon7]

I can't wait to get on the mat with you.......
I want to earn my Viking Horns!!


hee hee.......
:asian: