Delayed Sword – Front right-hand lapel grab

• Step 1
  • Step back toward six o’clock with your left foot to form a right neutral bow stance facing twelve o’clock.
  • Deliver a right inward block.
  • Left-hand covers low.
• Step 2
  • Slide your right foot back into a transitional right 45° cat stance.
  • Immediately execute a right front snapping ball kick to the attacker’s groin.
• Step 3
  • Plant your right foot forward at twelve o’clock forming a right neutral bow stance.
  • Deliver a right-snapping outward downward diagonal hand sword strike to the right side of the attacker’s neck.
• Step 4
  • Cover toward 6:00.

Delayed Sword serves as the first technique necessary to obtain your yellow belt, or the introductory technique into Ed Parker’s American Kenpo. It teaches a defense against a front right-hand lapel grab to the left shoulder, placing it in the Grabs & Tackles category of the Web of Knowledge and the Shoulder & Lapel Grab Family Group in the Grabs category of the Family Group Grappling Division.

Delayed Sword introduces us to the basic concepts of self-defense by teaching us to defend against an attack from the least dangerous of the attack categories, the Grab. You will learn to retreat from the attack to create distance while blocking your attacker’s extended arm with your arm. Then, you will employ the striking method of attack with a longer-range weapon (kick) to reach an otherwise out-of-reach target. Finally, you will learn how to gauge distance with your kicking leg to properly measure the distance for your hand sword strike.