Kenpo: Strking Asp and Striking Snake Modifications

Striking Asp is a Kenpo move designed to pin the opponent’s arms while using your right arm to strike. It is quick and reversed momentum of the opponent while knocking them into a level of confusion making further attacks difficult. The defensive move doesn’t require a lot of skill and this is one of the reasons why it can be so effective during difficult situations. 

Keeping all actions within the right arm helps beginners to remember the sequence and maintain action throughout the process. As one gains skills they can use that arm in different ways when the opponent does unexpected movements or successfully blocks thereby breaking the sequence. This is an inherent benefit of learning both the traditional and modified moves.

At times the modified methods can be used with greater effectiveness. The names to do not always match up but they do resemble similarities in movements. We will call the two different, but similar moves, Striking Asp and Striking Snake. 

Striking Asp A (Opponent Grabs Both Lapels):

-Reach over the top of your opponent’s arms with your left hand and pin opponent’s left wrist with your left hand while stepping back with your left foot (Pin should be a cupping of the hand and not a grab). 

-Rotate hips to the right as you bring your right arm back and around to deliver a raking punch to opponent’s head. (Keep momentum after hit to bring fist close to left ear.)

-Deliver a back knuckle punch to opponent’s right temple. 

Striking Snake Modification (Opponent Grabs Both Lapels):

-Reach over the top of your opponent’s arms with your left hand and pin opponent’s left wrist with your left hand while stepping forward with your right foot (Pin should be a cupping of the hand and not a grab).

-Deliver right middle finger fist to opponent’s solar plexus.

-Bring right arm up and complete full inward block to clear opponent’s arms away from body.

-Deliver right handed chop to neck. 

-Right elbow to the left side of opponent’s head.