Thrust Kick & Counter- Bear Hug vs Two Attackers

mook jong man

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This is an exercise that works on two sets of techniques and requires some very fast decision making.
The techniques we are using will be a thrusting medium heel kick and a counter bear hug technique.

You need three people for this drill and a kick shield , two playing the attackers , and one as the Wing Chun defender.

One attacker will be positioned behind you and grab you in a rear bear hug , the other attacker will be in front charging in at you from various distances.

The question is who do I deal with first?
The bloke thats got me in the bear hug or the bloke thats charging in to rearrange my face while his mate has me immobilised and my arms pinned.
The answer is that it depends on the range of the bloke that is charging in to hit you.

If he is coming in from just a few steps away then I have to deal with him first because he is the most immediate threat , the other guy is only holding me in a bear hug . Although left to long that bear hug could easily transition into being picked up and slammed into a wall , dumped on the ground etc

If the bloke charging in is a fair few metres away then I should have a bit of time up my sleeve and I can attack the bloke doing the bear hug , then attack the bloke charging in.

The person thats charging in will be holding the kick shield , they should hold the kick shield length ways so it covers most of the side of their body from upper quad to chest .

Keep the pad on the side of your body as you run in slightly sideways so you don't get kicked in the groin.
The person doing the bear hug will just grab around the defenders upper body from behind , pinning the arms as well , as hard as they can.

The thrusting medium heel kick is just a kick to the bladder or groin using the heel , just kick at your own waist height.
To counter the bear hug , you use what ever technique your lineage uses , just as long as it is fast and efficient.

Our lineage uses a stamp on the foot , then a simultaneous pivot and rear elbow strike. There are a few more technical details , but that is the crux of the technique STAMP-PIVOT -ELBOW STRIKE.

The way the drill works is that the defender just stands naturally with his eyes closed , and arms down by his sides.
The bloke holding the pad positions himself at a random distance from the front of the defender while the defenders eyes are closed , could be near , could be far away, each time it will be a different distance.

The bear hug guy initiates the bear hug attack , as soon as the defender feels the grab he is allowed to open his eyes and start fighting.
When the guy with the pad sees the defenders eyes open that is his signal to start charging in at him .
The defender has to make a split second decision as to who he will attack first.

Some points to remember.
  • Defender starts in neutral position , with hands down , and eyes closed.
  • Do not tense up when you are grabbed , it is counter productive.
  • When you are grabbed , relax , keep your back straight and sink your weight , as you sink down stamp on your attackers foot with your heel.
  • If your having trouble finding his foot , turn your foot to the side and rake the outside of your foot down his shin and find it that way
  • The defender has to time his kick properly at the guy charging in , when he gets it right the pad holder should feel like he's run into the end of a steel pole.
  • To save time and for greater economy of movement advanced people can try using the same leg that they are thrust kicking with , to go straight from the thrust kick down to stamping on the bear hug guys foot in one motion.
  • Or vice versa straight from stamping the bear hug guys foot to thrust kicking the guy in front.
  • The power of our counter attack is being enhanced by the weight of the guy holding us in the bear hug , but that doesn't mean you should be relying on him , you should be sunk down in your stance .
 

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Great hands on drill, for real life situations.
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zepedawingchun

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Also, to counter the bear hug, you can use rising chaeng jern (also may be called hao sahm hup jern) to release the hold. This motion is in the second set of Siu Nim Tao, the very first movement, the downward palm strike is chaeng jern. The next motion upward is also chaeng jern. Use the upward motion by first sinking your weight then place or position the backs of your hands on your thighs between the side and rear quarters of your thighs and raise with your elbows, not your shoulders. This creates a rising triangle with great force against your opponents biceps causing pain, which done correctly, also releases the grip. As you are raising the chaeng jerns, clasps one of the opponents hands or wrist so that you may reverse (or joint lock) on them.
 
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mook jong man

mook jong man

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Also, to counter the bear hug, you can use rising chaeng jern (also may be called hao sahm hup jern) to release the hold. This motion is in the second set of Siu Nim Tao, the very first movement, the downward palm strike is chaeng jern. The next motion upward is also chaeng jern. Use the upward motion by first sinking your weight then place or position the backs of your hands on your thighs between the side and rear quarters of your thighs and raise with your elbows, not your shoulders. This creates a rising triangle with great force against your opponents biceps causing pain, which done correctly, also releases the grip. As you are raising the chaeng jerns, clasps one of the opponents hands or wrist so that you may reverse (or joint lock) on them.

I would never have thought of that application before but I can definitely see how it would work.
The move I'm talking about is from Bil Jee , its in the elbow striking sequences.

When you are grabbed you reach up with one hand and clasp your hand over his hands so they can't come up to choke.

Then stamp on his foot , the next move is the bit from Bil Jee , using the arm that is clasped around his hands you start to pivot and raise your elbow up like you are going to do a horizontal elbow strike.

This elbow raising combined with the pivot weakens his grip and puts him totally off balance , and also opens up his solar plexus or abdomen for the rear elbow strike from the other hand .

Sometimes you can even get out of it just by being excellent at pivoting , I remember seeing some of my instructors do this and the person grabbing was just getting thrown from side to side until they had to let go.
 

zepedawingchun

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I would never have thought of that application before but I can definitely see how it would work.
The move I'm talking about is from Bil Jee , its in the elbow striking sequences.

When you are grabbed you reach up with one hand and clasp your hand over his hands so they can't come up to choke.

Then stamp on his foot , the next move is the bit from Bil Jee , using the arm that is clasped around his hands you start to pivot and raise your elbow up like you are going to do a horizontal elbow strike.

This elbow raising combined with the pivot weakens his grip and puts him totally off balance , and also opens up his solar plexus or abdomen for the rear elbow strike from the other hand .

Sometimes you can even get out of it just by being excellent at pivoting , I remember seeing some of my instructors do this and the person grabbing was just getting thrown from side to side until they had to let go.

The application I mention works best when someone has grabbed you around your elbows, which can sometimes restrict hip rotation. Either application (yours or mine) will free the elbow restriction to allow proper hip motion to throw off the opponent, or what we call Chum Kiu footwork.
 

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