Training Jedi Knight Types Lesson 4: Elbow Waza - Part I

By Stephen Cheney

ELBOW WAZA

The elbow is one of the main body tools you can use as a weapon in Close Quarter Fighting when the Aggressor is too close to punch. Being a solid bone bigger than the fist, and when whipped in a tight circle, it delivers more power than a punch.

Bullies usually have greater height and body weight. To use this to their advantage they need to get close to their victim.

The elbow is called ‘Hiji’ (hee-gee) in Japanese, (or ‘Empi’ in Okinawa).

Exercise to Assist Learning

In a wide or in a natural stance: Bend knees and sink hips to give you a solid base for leverage.

• Start with your open hands chambered at your hips.
• Raise one forearm across your forehead parallel to the ground.
• Slide the other forearm across your back at the waist, parallel to the ground.
• Thrust your upper hand into the direction that its fingers are pointing as you also turn your torso (upper body) in that direction, until your torso stops. The hand at your rear waist also thrusts in the direction that its fingers are pointing.
• Now bring your torso back to face the front while you change hands: by sweeping your rear arm up to the front and your front hand down to your rear. They replace positions at forehead and at rear waist.
• Now turn in the other direction using torso and hands. Then back to the front again.
• Note that your feet also assist in this to maximize the twist: As you turn to your LEFT your far RIGHT foot also turns inward. As you turn to your RIGHT your LEFT far foot also turns inward. When facing front both of your feet also face front. The turning of your foot allows a better hip turn so you can see more behind you. Your torso can turn side on so you can see passed your rear mid-point. The foot turn also saves the knees from twisting. Any excess pressure on the knees should be avoided. For the young, their bones are still solidifying: and so they should not be taught or commanded (until they are 16 years old), for instance in Karate, to practice the severe tensioned Karate stances that lock one firmly to the floor but to do so exert a high pressure on the leg bones.

Repeat as desired.

This exercise is very good for a controlled and gentle stretch of the muscles surrounding the spine, as well as the hips.

Your elbow, like the knee, is one of your most powerful weapons. Because your Opponent who is ‘in your face’ threatening you, needs to apply any Grabbing Force from close quarters, an elbow strike can be fired in the small gap between you just before he actually grabs you. Because the distance is small, an elbow thrust is difficult to block or avoid.

Quote(s) for Discussion

We are here to claim our rights as women, not only to be free, but to fight for freedom. It is our privilege, as well as our pride and our joy … Nothing but contempt is due to those people who ask us to submit to unmerited oppression. — Christabel Pankhurst

ELBOW KATA

Stance

In a wide or in a natural stance: Bend knees and sink hips to give you a solid base for leverage.

This is a sequence of movements (a Kata) that can be done alone without a partner; but with a partner, playing the dummy moving into you, and you not actually hitting them, that can show you just how close you must be to strike THROUGH the target, and When. To feel what the impact is like on your arm you can practice hitting heavy bags or light mitts with your elbow, noting the best distance to be. Do not hit hard non-body surfaces.

As muggers like to attack you by surprise from outside of your front vision, they often approach from the side (or rear) to grab, scare or King Hit you: so we start from the side attack:

ACTION

1) Enemy is upon you at your RIGHT SIDE. Thrust your RIGHT elbow sideways to your RIGHT, pushing with your LEFT FOOT to shift your weight towards your RIGHT foot and breathing out or a giving sudden KIAI shout or a forceful OOMPH. Strike through the Solar Plexus of the attacker.

2) Without stopping push on your RIGHT FOOT to push your weight back to your centre and thrust your Right Elbow in towards your centre line and all the way directly UPWARD in front, pulling back your left elbow to your left hip to counterbalance your strike. Strike to chest and upward from under attacker’s chin.

3) Continue by turning your head to your RIGHT to see an attacker behind you and almost upon you (e.g. about to Bear-hug you). Swivel your upper body to the RIGHT and thrust a straight elbow to your rear into attacker’s Solar Plexus or chest. Your Left hand can assist by pressing into your right fist. Don’t stick out your backside rearward as it will get in the way.

4) Turn your head to your front where another attacker is upon you. Deliver a round elbow strike across the side of his jaw (his left side of jaw) with your RIGHT elbow.

5) Without stopping, swing your RIGHT elbow back to slam it into the other (his right) side of his jaw.

6) As he falls you go with him onto his bent over body, deliver a downward elbow onto the top of his neck, assisted by a sudden dropping of your own body: Bend your knees and lower yourself suddenly into a wide stance (Kibu dachi).

7) Repeat sequence using this time your LEFT elbow. Use shouts or OOMPHs with every strike; helps breathing and to maintain your enthusiasm.

Vital Points

• Close Distance: to use elbow strikes the Aggressor must always be very close to you in front, to side, or behind.
• Use your WHOLE BODY not just your elbow in these strikes. To do that you MUST have your knees at least slightly bent to enable your legs to thrust your body adding greatly to the force of the elbow strike.
• Your hands are closed into fists in most elbow strikes and the fist is kept near to the shoulder. Hitting upward or downward or to the rear your fist’s palm faces sideways; hitting cross your front you turn your fist to face downwards.
• Downward and Rear strikes: To assist, you can use your free hand to cup the fist of your striking arm to add stability, adding more force to the impact.

With Upward strikes and also with the strikes across your front: take your free fist down to the side of your far hip and pull that arm at the hip backwards: that allows more rotation of force into your attack. Striking across your centre to the outside can have an expanding chest feeling with one arm going to the hip; OR you can instead assist going in your striking direction by using your free hand to grip your fist and help to thrust your elbow in the direction that it is going. Do what feels best and natural to you.

Summary

• Thrust RIGHT elbow to your RIGHT. (at Solar plexus).
• Thrust RIGHT elbow up your FRONT centre line. (at Chest or Chin).
• Thrust RIGHT elbow BACK to your rear. (at Solar plexus).
• Thrust RIGHT elbow around high across your FRONT. (Across Jaw or lower ribs).
• Thrust RIGHT elbow back high across your FRONT. (Across Jaw or lower ribs).
• Thrust RIGHT elbow Downwards in FRONT (for when he is bent over: onto the back of his neck).
• Repeat the sequence the other way using LEFT elbow and your LEFT side.

PART II

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