# Intellectual Departure



## WilliamTLear (May 13, 2002)

Sounds like you learned it from a natural stance... but the way Trejo taught it to me we started it from a right neutral bow and then stepped back toward 5:00 into a right reverse bow.

Other than that small difference, klondike93 has the rest of it written the same way I learned it.

Take Care,
Billy Lear
United Kenpo Systems
:asian:


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## Roland (May 23, 2002)

cause the attacker's head to lift up, making it harder to grab, and later pull into that knee and elbow.
I like to  keep my hand open and attempt to accidently rake the face while going for the grab behind the head.

This is a hard technique to describe, I find,  verbally, and or, with written word.


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## Klondike93 (May 12, 2002)

Intellectual Departure (Right front thrust kick)

1. Step back with your left foot between 5 and 6 o'clock into a modified twist stance and set your base.

2. Pivot into a right reverse close kneel with a right inside downward block, palm down to the inside of attacker's right leg.

3. Deliver a right back kick to attacker's groin. Plant your right foot toward 1 o'clock and set your base.

4. Unwind into a right neutral bow with a right outward back-knuckle to attacker's temple.

5. Drag step forward with a right side snap kick to attacker's left knee.

6. Land forward into a right neutral with a right outward back-knuckle to attackers temple.


:asian:


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## Klondike93 (May 13, 2002)

The way I wrote it down for you here is the way it's taught at the kenpo school I'm going to now.  When I first learned it there was no back knuckle in it. 

I asked my instructor why is it there (being a good student  ) and was told as a means of straighting yourself for the side kick to the knee. You have to unwind from the back kick anyways, why not add a backfist in there and do some more nastyness to the attacker.  


:asian:


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## Klondike93 (May 22, 2002)

The way GD has it is the way I was taught it too, except for....

 A bacfist was added after the hammer fist. I was also told to move the left foot over slightly in front of the right creating a bind to make it easier for the right leg to buckle attackers left leg. 

Does anyone else add the backfist?

Other than that I do it word for word the way GD described it.




:asian:


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## Klondike93 (May 23, 2002)

I have found in practicing this that I don't do the backfist just because I forget to do it. But it feels better to go from the hammer fist to grabbing the head for the knee, seems like it flows better.


:asian:


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## Goldendragon7 (May 13, 2002)

As was originally written in Ed Parkers Accumulative Journal (Manual Late 70's)....

Intellectual Departure (front right thrust kick)

a.  With feet together step back with your left foot into a right neutral bow and execute a right Inside downward block (palm down,traveling diagonally, from 2 o'clock to 8 o'clock) as you pivot into a right reverse close kneel stance with your left hand guarding at the right side of your face (positional check).

b.  From the right reverse close kneel stance, execute a right back thrust kick to opponent's groin.

c.  Immediately plant your right foot back to its former position (or adjust it as you see fit) an shuffle (drag your left foot) toward your opponent  and deliver a right knife edge kick to the inside of your opponents left knee.

end...

There were no back knuckles originally... some have inserted or altered the technique.

:asian:


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## Goldendragon7 (May 21, 2002)

Salute!
:asian:


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## Goldendragon7 (May 22, 2002)

Spreading "Branch"?


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## Goldendragon7 (May 22, 2002)

SPREADING BRANCH (rear bear hug -- arms pinned)

a.  With your feet together shift your right foot back to 8 o'clock 
     (into a left forward bow)  to buckle opponent's left knee (from 
     inside out).  Simultaneously have your left hand pin both of
     your opponent's arms as you execute a right hammerfist strike 
     to opponent's groin.

b.  With your opponent reacting to your groin strike,  thus 
     releasing his grasp, have both of your arms grab back of 
     opponent's neck and deliver a right knee kick  to 
     opponent's face as both of your arms pull down, therefore 
     increasing the force of your knee kick.

c.   As you 're planting your right foot forward toward 1 o'clock, 
     have your left hand push down on opponent's head while your 
     right arm circles counter clockwise.


d.  As you plant your right foot (employing marriage of gravity) 
     and in coordination with the foot plant, conclude your counter 
     clockwise motion by executing a right looping overhead 
     downward elbow strike  to upper spine of opponent.

there you have it.

P.S.  "Branch" not Branches.....

:asian:


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## Goldendragon7 (May 23, 2002)

is a great insert..... but just wasn't in the original technique.  :asian:


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## Goldendragon7 (May 26, 2002)

All our techniques are just drills....... and as such can be altered in numerous ways and all remain effective!  Each can be adjusted to ones favorite movenemts and strikes if you look close enough.

:asian:


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## Michael Billings (May 22, 2002)

...from the reverse bow we did a stiff leg lifting kick or back kick, dependent on range.  We did have the backfist as we rotate and plant down.  Followed by a drag-step snapping knife-edge kick to the available knee.

Close anyway.

Now, how about Spreading Branches?

-Michael B.


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## Michael Billings (May 22, 2002)

Dennis,

Does this look right to you?

SPREADING BRANCHES (rear bear hug-arms pinned) 

1. With feet together, step to 9:00 with your left foot as you pin the opponent's hands with your left hand and you execute a right back elbow strike (if able) followed by a right back hammer fist strike. 
2. Immediately shift your right foot toward 7:30 into a right reverse bow, buckling the inside of the opponent's left leg, as you execute a right upward back knuckle strike to the bridge of the nose or temple. 
3. Circle your right hand clockwise behind opponent's head and shoot a right knee strike to his face. 
4. Step down with your right foot toward 3:00 with a right inward overhead elbow strike to the high spine. 

I did not have this one written out and had to do it myself.  Corrections or suggestions would be helpful.  I do it at Purple so I can begin working with this buckle.

Thanks,
-Michael


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## Michael Billings (May 22, 2002)

See where thoses extra esseses come from.  Seriously, will correct my material to reflect what you shared, i.e. delete the backfist to the face and try to change the angle of the kick.  I had been doing the backfist and inserting the neck break prior to the knee.

After you execute the knee, is there an angle of departure for the inward overhead elbow strike, stepping toward 3:00?  I have had to do this becase they are generally not there for a step through knee toward 1:00.  

I have not seen a right looping overhead downward elbow strike, but will figure this out tomorrow night (I assume that it is looping inward?), as well as playing with the change in angles of incidence for the knee and elbow.

Thanks Mucho,
-Michael


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## Michael Billings (May 22, 2002)

I was also doing the backfist.  The technique is not taught in the UKS, but some of us have kept it in at an introductory level to help learn buckles and angles of entry or disturbance.

-Oos,
Michael


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## KenpoTess (May 13, 2002)

Intellectual Departure.. 

well besides what naturally occurs at my age..after learning 24 techniques per belt.. Here's how we teach Intellectual Departure at our school

Intellectual Departure
Defense against a right front ball kick 

Step back with your left foot as you turn backwards into a reverse bow while doing a right inward downward (palm down) block with right forearm on kick. Do a right rear kick to attackers groin before their kicking leg lands. 
As you land from the rear kick into a right neutral bow facing attacker, do a right back knuckle to attackers temple (if available.) 
Step drag forward and deliver a right side kick to attackers far leg (left), landing forward in a right neutral bow. Deliver a back knuckle to back of their neck. 

In the Spirit of Martial Arts

Tess


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## matthewgreenland (May 12, 2002)

Hey, by chance, does anyone know Intellectual Departure?

If so, would you be kind enough to pass on the intel!  I have never been taught that technique, and I would very much like to add it to my arsenal.

Thank you


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## matthewgreenland (May 15, 2002)

Thank you all for the info.  I'm glad I posted the question.  Now, I will be using it too.  Thanks


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## cdhall (Sep 5, 2006)

This is a great thread. I want to suggest to the Mods that maybe Spreading Branch be copied out to its own thread if that makes it easier to search on.

I found it here by accident. I was having a hard time finding Mr. C's Intellectual Departure post btw. I did an Advanced Search and couldn't find it. I had to do a regular search and sift through the results.

But this is a great thread and maybe worthy of being bumped up again just for that reason. Thanks to everyone who posted here.


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## MattJ (Sep 6, 2006)

Goldendragon7 said:


> As was originally written in Ed Parkers Accumulative Journal (Manual Late 70's)....
> 
> Intellectual Departure (front right thrust kick)
> 
> ...


 
That is exactly as I learned many years ago. I think our school may have put either a step-through front kick or a back-knuckle at the end. Can't remember anymore.


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## Atlanta-Kenpo (Sep 6, 2006)

I know that the back knuckles were not in the "original technique" but I was told by Mr Wedlake & Mr Whitson tha the reason that the back knuckles were added was because students were rushing into the side snap kick messing up thier body mechanice.  So put in a backknuckel in there and it force the student to go into the R N Bow before the kick.


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## Kenpojujitsu3 (Sep 6, 2006)

MattJ said:


> That is exactly as I learned many years ago. I think our school may have put either a step-through front kick or a back-knuckle at the end. Can't remember anymore.


 
Step Through Front Kick if you're talking about Mr. Jim's


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## MattJ (Sep 7, 2006)

Thanks James! I originally learned it at Mr. Polanzo's school back in the mid-eighties, and I seem to remember that version being different. But I couldn't remember who did what.


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