HAPKIDO

How to Stop the 5 Most Common Kicks ofthe Martial Arts by Putting Your Attacker on the Ground!
by Robert W. Young * photos by Thomas Sanders

Kfyour fighting style revolves around punching and m kicking while maintaining maximum mobility, you'll m like the jeet kune do method of defending against M kicks that's outlined on Page 76. If, however, you're a stand-and-fight, grab-him-and-break-something sort of person, you'll appreciate the hapkido techniques Han Woong Kim covers in this article.

v s . KICKS ir

Spend any amount of time in the Korean martial arts, and you'ii quickly learn that hapkido is renownedyou might even say "feared"for its kick defense. That term is really a misnomer because there' a whole lot more offense than defense going on. Why? Because hapkido students adhere to the philosophy that stopping a kick and backing off merely gives the attacker a chance to regroup and re-engage. That's usually followed by

regret. It's much safer to stop the kick and inflict enough damage to remove the opponent's ability to continue the fight. With that in mind, peruse the five kick defenses presented below. They're demonstrated and described by Han Woong Kim, a sixth-degree master of yang mu won hapkido, the ultraeffective version of the art founded by his father. Black Belt Hall of Fame member Chong S. Kim.

DEFENSE AGAINST:

THE FRONT KICK

APPEAL: This hapkido defense is universally effective because almost every martial art teaches the front kick the same way, Han Woong Kim says. STARTS Assume a closed-stance fighting posture in which your lead hand is down and your rear hand is near your chin. "The hand that's down is waiting for the kick, and your guard hand protects your head," Kim says. "Leave your midsection open to bait him. That way, you have more of a chance to get the kick you want." TECHNIQUE: As soon as he initiates his front kick, move your body slightly out of the way, Kim says. "Then, even if he makes contact, you won't get hurt because you won't absorb the full power. Use your front hand to redirect the kick and your rear hand to grab the leg near the knee. "Try to grab the leg when it's on the way in. It doesn't matter if the knee is fully extended or bent. If possible, use your front hand to keep the leg from fully extending. When the leg is bent, twisting is easier." Next, occupy the space between you and your opponent as you wrap your lead hand around his leg. "Don't go against his energy," he says. "As you grab, turn your body 45 degrees clockwise and direct his energy to the ground. Use your body weight and shoulder to press down on the side of the knee, twisting it. Continue until he's down. If he resists, it will tear up the ligaments in his knee." FINISH: Recover your balance and control him. You can effect a leg or ankle lock, activate a pressure point on his neck, twist his head or simply strike with your right hand. CAVEAT: "For it to work, your motion must be continuous until your opponent is on the ground," he says.

A FRONT-KICK DEFENSE SIDE-KICK DEFENSE

DEFENSE AGAINST:

THE SIDE KICK

APPEAL: This technique lets gravity do the dirty work. "If your opponent is big and strong, it can be hard to sweep the leg, but if you lift his kicking leg, it will w o r k ^ a n d he'll hit the ground hard," Kim says.
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START Adopt a closed-stance ready position with your lead hand up, leaving your ribs open, he says. "The attacker can do a front kick or side kick to the exposed area. If he does a front kick, block it and push him away. But if he does the side kick, go for it." TECHNIQUE: "When he begins the kick, block a little and move 45 degrees to the side. At same time, move forward and get under his kicking leg with your right arm." Keep his leg high to disrupt his balance, then sweep his lead foot with your left foot. FINISH: "If he doesn't know how to fall, he'll probably get hurt when he hits the ground," he says. "Either way, you should keep control of his leg. On the ground, you can apply an ankle lock to make him give up. If he doesn't give up, you can break it." CAVEAT: "If you don't break his balance when you first make contact, he won't have just one foot to stand on; he'll have three feetone of his and both of yours, like a tripod. Then he can punch you. But when you lift his leg, the only thing he thinks about is falling."

ROUNDHOUSE-KICK DEFENSE HEEL-DROP-KICK DEFENSE T

DEFENSE AGAINST^

THE ROUNDHOUSE KICK

APPEAL: "This is another versatile defense because most martial artists are very confident with their rear-leg roundhouse, so they'll usually take the bait," Kim says. START: From an open stance, raise your lead hand. "That makes the conditions perfect for a rear-leg roundhouse to the chest or face," he says. TECHNIQUE: When he kicks, move to your right and block with your bent right arm. "You don't need to do a full block because your body is already moving off the line of attack," he says. "He's trying to kick your face where it used to be, not where it is now. The block is just insurance." Next, use your left arm to reach around his kicking leg. If the kick goes high toward your face, you can go under. If he aims for your stomach or chest, you can grab over. "Move toward his balance pointso your lead foot is in the middle of the circle of space between you," Kim says. "That gives you the best chance to
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throw him. If your foot is too far away, you can only strike him or twist his leg, not throw him." Turn counterclockwise and sweep the leg with your right foot. It's not necessary to lift as you sweep or grab his shoulder with your right hand. "Outside the martial arts studio, you don't have to protect him or let him down gently," he says. "You can slam him." FINISH: The impact will likely end the confrontation, especially if his head smacks the ground. If it doesn't, you can execute an Achilles lock on his right leg, which remains trapped under your arm. CAVEAT: This defense won't work if he does a lead-leg front kick instead of a roundhouse. "In that case, just move back and block it down, then set him up for another technique," he says.

DEFENSE AGAINST:

k THE HEEL-DROP KICK

APPEAL: "No matter what this attack which is called the heel-drop kick or ax kickhits, it hurts," Kim says. "It can be your head, shoulder, chest or body which is why it's important to have an effective way to stop it. This defense works every time." STARTt From a closed stance, leave your upper body open. Your lead hand is low just in case your opponent opts to launch a front kick. TECHNIQUE: "When he starts the kick, you have some time to prepare because his foot has to go up and then down," he says. "Lower your body a bit and wait for his leg to start dropping. Move to the side and use your right arm to grab the leg above the knee. That will put you close to his body, which is where you need to be to sweep his leg with your right foot. Take him down in one continuous motion so he doesn't have a chance to do something else to you." FINISH: He'll land on his side, which makes it easy to strike him or lock his arm or leg. C V A S Because of the power this kick AET has, you can't just stand there and block it. Your best bet is to move in on him. "Then, even if you get hit, it's not with as much power," he says.
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SPIN-KICK DEFENSE
DEFENSE AGAINST:

THE SPIN KICK

APPEAL: As with the other defenses, it's always gratifying to bait an opponent and watch him fall into your trap. START: Your closed stance and strategically positioned arms (low lead and high rear) will encourage him to target your head, probably with a spin kick. "Watch his shoulders and feet: A lot of people start their spin kick by moving their shoulders and twisting their front foot before spinning," Kim says. TECHNIQUE: "As he spins, move in at 45 degrees and grab his leg. You don't have to reach for it; it will come to you. Again, take the center of the circle. Go with his energy, which means you allow his leg to continue moving in the same direction. As it slows, grab the leg with both hands, then position your butt close to his and sweep his supporting leg. He'll

either spin through the air and fall, or damage his knee." FINISH: Even if he falls properly, you'll have control of his kicking leg. It's easy to effect a lock while you're still standing. C V A S "If you wait until the spin starts AET before trying to move away but are too slow, you're in big trouble. If you stay put, you're in big trouble," Kim says. "The best response, if you can't do this defense, is to move in and hug him." Once you're inside the radius of his leg, he has no power. It doesn't take much more than a mild push while he's spinning to make him fall. 7^ About the author:
Robert W. Young is the executive editor of Black Belt. All told, he's spent nearly four years in Korea studying and researching the martial arts. For more information about Han Woong Kim and Jang mu won hapkido, visit kimshapkido.com.

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