Poomsae Help

[TKDHermit]

I need help with Taegeuk O Jang. I'm having problems turning into back stance and generating force with the single knife hand blocks. Like, after the backfist, turn 270 into back stance with single knife hand block, then elbow, then turn 180 into backstance and single knife hand block again, i cant do these 2 movements smoothly, as in the turn. Either I can't generate power enough with the blocks, or I cant turn into back stances properly. Either the angle of the feet placement is wrong or what.

Basically does anyone have tips for turning into back stances and do single knife hand block at the same time?

 

[MasterWright]

Check you messages for info about my website, the forms are there

 

[bluekey88]

I would think less about "turning" and more about "pivoting." Turning implies you're tryign to swing your legs and hips around....too much power and you over-rotate...too little and no power.

When you pivot you place your feet where they need to be and then turn on the balls of your feet. So, turning 180 degrees into that second knife hand strike....step bhack with your front foot to put it in place, then pivot on your feet...you get accuracy and power that way. I find it's a good compromise.

Peace,
Erik

 

[TKDHermit]

ahhh... i duno but for kkw poomsae we're taught to land the foot and finish the 'strike' at the same time. well if i cant get it right by jan 18 [grading to 3rd geup/2nd geup[if double promotion] then ill do it pivot way. ive no problem with doing it the pivot way. and masterwright ur forms are in videos how am i supposed to know what step number -.-

 

[bluekey88]

Good point. I just stood up in my office and went through it. I do pivot, but I don't quite put my foot down. I twist at the wasit and get my head around as I load up both knife hands (the 270 and 180 turns) and put my foot right above the spot where I want it to land. Then as i strike with the knife hand I time that with finishing the step.

So, what I'm really doing is a hybrid of a full step turn and a pivot. What I'm not doing is trying to pirouette or one foot or swing myself around. I'm really tryign to keep my weight and mass as compacted on the vertical axis of my body as possible.

I hope that makes sense.

 

[igillman]

Look at how to do an "about face" in the military, that is how you should position your feet but you are going to go through 270 degrees instead of 180 degrees. I will try to describe it...

From the front (long) stance and backfist.
Bring your weight onto your front foot.
Slide your back foot up towards your front foot, still keeping your weight on your front foot.
Put the toes of your back foot next to the heel of your front foot, lift up the heel and pivot that foot by 90 degrees.
You should now be in a position similar to the stance you end up in at the end of this poomsae.
If your feet are right you should be able to pivot while lifting one heel and putting the other heel down at the same time while pushing on your toes.

It is tricky trying to describe it. See if you can find something on how to march, the military and the boy scouts use that technique for pivoting and it works really well.

 

[zDom]

I won't comment on how you SHOULD do things to generate more power in your block as your instructor probably has specific ways he wants you to achieve this.

I will share some about how I was taught to get sufficient power in MY knife hand block:

The power in my knife hand block in Oh Chang(/Jang) comes first from a rotation of my hips (combined with the turn, of course).

Power also comes from a large circular motion (could also be generated from a large linear motion — chambering far back) with the blocking hand combined with a powerful retraction of the other arm into a chambered position.

Combined with this is "snapping" the wrists into their final positions at the last second (from begin rotated as far as possible from the final position — i.e. the knife hand with left hand starts/chambers by rotating counterclockwise as far as possible, then at the last moment rotates clockwise into the final knifehand block position. Simultaneously, the chamber hand starts rotated counterclockwise as far as possible, then at the last moment rotates clockwise into the finish position in a punch chamber the hip).

The entire body is relaxed until the final position is reached at which time the entire body flexes for brief instant.

Using these methods, my knifehand block as done in TG-5 is hard enough to bruise an attacker's forearm and easily deflects strikes.

Does this help?