Basic Taekwondo limb-control drill

I "borrowed" this drill after viewing another instructor performing it. It is short, relatively simple and drills the usage of the "non striking hand", angles and several traditional techniques all in one compact drill. The traditional techniques are "round strike" (in the specific example I share it is a bear hand strike), a knife hand strike, a low block in long front stance and a middle level punch. One of the perhaps most important aspects though is the clearing of limbs and basic limb control. Many Taekwondo students are never introduced to this combative range at all, and if you only study your defenses against strikes in the ritualistic formal sparring you will never really learn how to deal with the opponents defenses. In this drill the opponent reacts to your strikes by parrying and covering, which again is something most Taekwondo students never really learn how to deal with.

You can watch the video below:

The Dangkinun son (pulling hand) was traditionally a pramatic part of your technique. You either pulled the opponent off balance and into your strike, you cleared limbs and obstructions to facilitate strikes, or you grabbed, pulled and ripped something. In this specific drill we start out with a lapel grab and pull our opponent out of balance and into the bear paw strike. This strike can be changed into any rounded strike you chose, but we have been working specifically with that strike on the pads for a few training sessions now, so it was natural to use this in a combative context. As it is a circular movement the opponent lifts his hand to block the strike. In application I would personally be holding that arm and pulling along with the strike to negate this defense ever happening, but for the sake of the drill we get to deal with this defense as well as introduce the fact that it might not be the arm of the opponent we are holding.

The opponents arm is up and in our way now, and his free arm is dangerous. I therefore slip to the opponents outside (my left in the demonstration) while clearing the limb with my left hand to set him up for a knife hand strike to the side of the neck. For variety you can change this strike to be any strike that uses this chamber/direction such as a back fist strike, an outward hammer fist strike etc. Shifting to the opponents outside is the safest (relatively speaking) place to move to, increases the distance between me and his free hand and it is disorientating for the opponent since I am now attacking from a different angle than before. Since I have hold of the opponents arm he is left with one parry to use to thwart my knife hand strike, and he does do that since this is a drill :-)

I have a hold of his arm and the other hand is occupied and facing an obstruction in his free arm. I therefore change strategy, move to the other side while clearing from underneath my right arm to secure a grab, apply a simple elbow joint lock to position him for a strike and strike to finish.

It is possible to let him thwart the elbow joint lock so you can change into a wrist throw, or a shoulder lock to take him down, furthering the length of the flow drill even more. You can also exchange the last punch with an outward wrist throw if you so choose. We did that in the last session we had for "fun" :-)

Another variety of the same drill to make it a little more "alive" is to repeat the strike a few times and let the opponent pick the time to defend. One he does defend you move to the next step and repeat the strike until the opponent defends and when he does defend you go to the next phase etc.

Comment below if you need me to clarify anything:-)

I hope to provide much more video content to this blog in the future. I have therefore set up a GoFundMe page on www.gofundme.com/traditionaltaekwondoramblings which I hope I can crowdfund a video editing software so I can make good quality videos for the blogs readers. If you want to contribute please visit the link to my GoFundMe page. Every donation helps :-)