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ORANGE BELT Drills

ALL BASICS FOR STABILITY PRINCIPLES

  • Description: In a run of All Basics the Student focuses all of their attention on the Stability Principles. 

  • Purpose: To gain practice and experience creating the Stability Principles. 

  • Reminders: Keep your attention on the Stability Principles. Locate in the center. Project down and create a heavy base. Move with a unified body. 

ALL BASICS FOR GROUND POWER

  • Description: In a run of All Basics the Student focuses all of their attention on Ground Power. 

  • Purpose: To gain practice and experience creating Ground Power. 

  • Reminders: Keep creating your Stability Principles. Flow the energy up from the ground and out through your striking limb. 

 

ALL BASICS FOR STRIKING PRINCIPLES 

Description: In a run of All Basics the Student focuses all of their attention on the specific elements of the Striking Principles. 

Purpose: To program the basic enhancement to the Student’s form, from each element of the Striking Principles. 

  • Rooting 
    Reminders: Root in your stance at the same time that you make contact with your strike. 

  • Retraction 
    Reminders: Pull the weapon back before the rest of your body rotates. 

  • Momentum 
    Reminders: Feel your body move in the Momentum Step. Add a Momentum Step in occasionally. 

  • Penetration 
    Reminders: Drive the weapon in deep. Let your energy continue to penetrate well past the physical strike.

 

ALL BASICS FOR CONFRONT ENERGY

  • Description: In a run of All Basics the Student practices the energy of Confront. 

  • Purpose: To practice and program the energy of Confront. 

  • Reminders: Be willing to tell the opponent what you have to tell him. Be willing to call the enemy on where they’re wrong. 

 

APPLICATION DRILL 

  • Description: The coach is in a Fighting Stance while the Student practices moving around using the fundamental Application Steps. 

  • Purpose: To program the ability to move around an opponent while applying one’s Kenpo. 

  • Reminders: Each time you turn to the front, be sure to square off to your opponent. Travel with the back leg; adjust back into alignment with the front leg. Take an Adjustment Step when you go from hands to feet. Step on the circle with each kick. Make transitions between each application footwork step from a forward soft bow. 

 

APPPLICATION DRILL ON THE MOVE 

  • Description: The Coach stands and walks slowly while the Student uses their application foot work and kicks to smoothly move around their opponent. 

  • Purpose: To program the ability to transition around a moving opponent while applying one’s Kenpo. 

  • Reminders: Try to stay to the Coach’s sides. Transition smoothly from kicks to hand strikes. Keep your control. Stay nice and fluid. 

 

WEAK SIDE CONNECTION DRILL 

  • Description: The Student does a Stance Change Drill using the weak side only, flowing energy down the whole of the weak side in a constant manner. 

  • Purpose: To improve the line of communication with the Student’s weak side. 

  • Reminders: Flow down the weak side. Feel all parts of your weak side. Go slowly. Keep the connection constant, especially on the retraction. 

WHOLE BODY CONNECTION DRILL 

  • Description: The Student does a Stance Change Drill and flows energy evenly throughout the whole body in a constant manner. 

  • Purpose: To “even out” the communication with one’s body as a whole, striving to eliminate the difference between the weak and dominant sides. 

  • Reminders: Flow and connect to all parts of the body evenly. Feel that both sides are equal. There 

  • is no weak side. There is no strong side. They are even.

HAND VARIATIONS DRILL 

  • Description: Student and Coach face each other in a Horse Stance. Coach throws slow, repetitive hand strikes, while the Student practices same hand and simultaneous hand variations. 

  • Purpose: To train the students in the proper use and application of hand variations. 

  • Reminders: Same hand variations depend on half beat movement. Simultaneous hand variations 

  • depend on planning the movement ahead. Keep your eyes focused on the upper chest.

TECHNIQUE LINE

  • Description: Coach walks up and immediately throws an attack. Student steps back and blocks and then immediately uses their application footwork to attack their Coach. The Coach reacts as if being hit. 

  • Purpose: To train the Student to move around in a fighting manner. 

  • Reminders: Step back and block. Keep it slow. Use your Application footwork to attack and transition against your Coach. Don’t make contact. Be close enough in range to make contact if you wish. 

GRAB LINE 

  • Description: Coach places a common grab on the Student. The Student frees himself using the Grabbing Principles, and then begins a regular Technique Line. 

  • Purpose: To program the Student to use the Grabbing Principles automatically in a grabbing situation. 

  • Reminders: The Grabbing Principles: Don’t attack the grab. Forget the captured weapon. Go with the force. Use what’s available. Change the situation if nothing else is available. Once you’re free of the grab, get into a forward bow and begin technique line. 

 

CONTROL CONSTANT DRILL

  • Description: The Instructor chooses a specific drill such as All Basics, or Technique Line as an example. The Student then moves appropriately feeling a constant connection and control to their body. 

  • Purpose: To help the Student practice and program being constantly in control of their bodies. 

  • Reminders: Feel your body completely while you move. Don’t let it feel awkward. Keep your control constant. Keep your connection constant. 

 

WEIGHT SHIFTING DRILL 

  • Description: Student is down in a Horse Stance while the Instructor calls out the percentage of weight shifting and on which leg. 

  • Purpose: To help the student gain a better perception of shifting weight. 

  • Reminders: Shift your center onto the correct leg. The leg shifted onto should be working harder. The leg with less weight should be working less. 

 

SPARRING DISTANCE DRILL

  • Description: Coach starts out of range and steps into one the 5 Ranges of Combat. Student responds by attacking, using the appropriate kick or strike for each range. 

  • Purpose: To program the 5 Ranges of Combat and Triggers: Out of Range, Skipping Kick Range, Kicking Range, Striking Range, and In Close Range. 

  • Reminders: Gaze at the upper chest. Coach steps back or forward as soon as the Student moves. Keep the gradient slow. 

 

SPARRING LEVEL TWO 

  • Description: Students face each other down in their fighting stances. On the command of “Begin”, they start Sparring Level Two. 

  • Purpose: To program the ability to spar with your Kenpo. 

  • Reminders: Match gradient and hold that gradient with your opponent. Learn to work together. Approach safely and with the proper footwork. Follow your opponent out after his hand strikes, or let him go.

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