Lunging punches

**jimmyeddy** · Posted On: 12/22/2011 11:51pm

Can a kempo person explain why kempo self defense is practiced against a lunging punch which opens different targets thana regular cross and is a punch tht ive never seen thrown ever

**wetware** · Posted On: 12/23/2011 1:31am

There are kempo techniques vs. crosses and jabs as well. The other thing to keep in mind is that the techniques for pushes are serviceable for straight punches, depending on which arm is being blocked except when it specifies to go with the push as in glancing salute. Here's a few examples:

Jab:

Cross:
(Oh god... it's Dance of Death...)

Edit: You'll please note I don't do Kempo any more.

**blindside** · Posted On: 12/25/2011 9:56pm

Originally Posted by jimmyeddy

Can a kempo person explain why kempo self defense is practiced against a lunging punch which opens different targets thana regular cross and is a punch tht ive never seen thrown ever

I think it is largely an artifact of the prevalent "karate" training during its construction. It should be noted that Kajukenbo lineages largely do not use the lunge punch as its default, but rather the boxing cross.

**Thebearjoe** · Posted On: 12/26/2011 12:17pm

I personally practice and teach against regular boxing crosses, hooks, etc.... although things have to change a little its not like Im ever going to do a full technique IRL (have actually done most of dance of death and all of defying the storm though) the techniques are more just like examples, kind of like when you learn a language and you practice example sentences

**Permalost** · Posted On: 12/27/2011 1:08pm

Originally Posted by Thebearjoe

have actually done most of dance of death and all of defying the storm though)

So you did the elbow drop to the spine? How'd that work?

**maofas** · Posted On: 12/27/2011 3:48pm

IMO lunge punch was meant to be a training device for basic Karate. It lets beginners feel power transfer in their feet pushing off the floor into the punch while being telegraphed by the footwork and thus safe to drill with at full power/intent to the face, with no pads, as is common in Karate.

I think a lot of people around WW2 times learned basic Karate and began teaching it, and pretty much just taught basics forever (maybe some of that happened with Kempo too, since not everyone spent 10+ years in Hawaii I'm sure). Karate influenced Kempo a lot and a lot of Kempo loves those 81 hit dance of death combos, and lunge punch is the ideal attack to show off against. It's a natural fit.

It's something you're meant to leave behind, for the most part, as you mature, but it has it's uses, I guess, maybe (just practice against jab/cross imo).

**wetware** · Posted On: 12/27/2011 10:41pm

Another important thing to note is that the techniques are not meant to be recordings that are replayed. If something happens exactly as a technique's 'script' reads, then great. There's nothing wrong with going off script. The techniques all have little 'teaching moments' in them meant to show you specific body movements and mechanics. Unfortunately, the (general) lack of non-compliant sparring leaves you sorely unprepared if you need to go off script.

**kajukine** · Posted On: 12/28/2011 8:38pm

In kajuenbo 3 of the 5 founders either were pro or armature boxers, so most of our punch counters come from a cross, but we also do jab counters as well as lunge WIDE punch as is the case in many untrained fights, just search youtube and you see what I mean, train for every angle and every possibility.