In Part 1 which focused on Arae Makki (Low defensive technique) which you can click here to read we looked at a few principles and two applications for Arae Makki sometimes called Naryo Makki these days, and usually translated as Low Block. The applications we looked at was using the Arae Makki movement for a wrist grab release technique, and as a straight armbar. In this part we will be looking at Momtong An Makki or middle section inward moving defensive technique.My approach to forms can be simplified and sumarized into three points:
- Use the whole movement
- There is only 1 opponent
- Must work in a realistic combative setting (i.e. an emergency)
This approach is a stark contrast to how Taekwondo traditional techniques and especially Poomsae is viewed in the mainstream of Taekwondo. We often learn applications that use some parts of the traditional basic technique, the Gibon Donjak, or basic template as I like to call them. In techniques that are labelled as Makki for instance we usually see that the chamber is not used, the hand on the hip makes no sense etc. This does not mean that a Makki technique can not be used as a deflection, because I feel that many old applications such as using basic Makki for deflections are OK if you in application adjust the basic template to that use (no chamber, short movement, non blocking hand protects the centerline, use body evasion along with deflection etc), but in 99% of the cases the "official" applications do not really explain the traditional template. This series goes into explaining the basic templates whole movement, but it does so in a basic but practical way. In a technique based manner, instead of looking into the Dynamic Context that they are originated in (The Poomsae) we isolate techniques and look at how to use them. I call this the ABC's of Practical Poomsae Applications. It is a great starting point, but it is just that; a starting point. So without further adu let us continue with an often seen technique in Taekwondo Poomsae, the Momtong An Makki, or middle section, inward defensive technique.
The most basic way of incorporating the whole movement is as a forearm slam onto the elbow joint of the opponent, while pulling his hand toward your hip. It works pretty much as a straight armbar such as the one we saw in Part 1, but instead of locking it and gaining control we either fail to make the lock and continue from there, or we only want to unbalance and change the mentality of the opponent so we can get a split seconds opening to deliver a couple of free shots.
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| This is the chamber part of the "block", the preporation of the solo template |
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| This is the execution of the solo template, the "block" itself. The hand that was extended in the preperation part is pulled sharply back to the hip. |
From a cross grabbed wrist grab, I. e. you grab his right arm with your right arm or vice versa you pull it back to your hip and slam your forearm into a point just above his elbow joint. From that position the "blocking hand" can move forward into a short range head shot and the back hand can follow up with a power shot. Alternatively you can skip straight to the back hands power shot. You see variations of this in Taegeuk Sa Jang towards the end, first in a short stance and later on a more higher rate of fire version in a long stance.
I am hoping that this series will be a starting point, or a set of "keys" that will allow you to look at Poomsae and see how you can find these applications and how to follow up from the advantageus position or what to do if the applications fail. Poomsae does both, basic applications of a basic technique will be more surface level.
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