# Favorite Elbow Strike



## Em MacIntosh (Jun 6, 2007)

I love elbows as long as they're mine.  I'm sure a lot of you feel the same way.  Situation aside, what's you favorite(s).  I like the "chicken-wing" elbow cause it's my quickest, though I'm not usually in a position to use it unless grappling.  My favorite is similar to a roundhouse-elbow, except it's done as more of a leaping clothesline where I make contact, then follow through with the elbow.  Never used it as a first strike but it's a fight ender if it lands.  Best set up with a stun as it's a 100% dedicated move.  I also like the "sneaky jab" elbow where you intentionally miss with a jab and connect with the elbow instead.  How'bout you guys?


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## Touch Of Death (Jun 6, 2007)

Em MacIntosh said:


> I love elbows as long as they're mine. I'm sure a lot of you feel the same way. Situation aside, what's you favorite(s). I like the "chicken-wing" elbow cause it's my quickest, though I'm not usually in a position to use it unless grappling. My favorite is similar to a roundhouse-elbow, except it's done as more of a leaping clothesline where I make contact, then follow through with the elbow. Never used it as a first strike but it's a fight ender if it lands. Best set up with a stun as it's a 100% dedicated move. I also like the "sneaky jab" elbow where you intentionally miss with a jab and connect with the elbow instead. How'bout you guys?


Thrusting inward.


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## Em MacIntosh (Jun 6, 2007)

Ah, excellent choice!


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## Touch Of Death (Jun 6, 2007)

Em MacIntosh said:


> Ah, excellent choice!


Our goal is "No Muscling"


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## Jdokan (Jun 6, 2007)

One I'm NOT getting hit with...That's my favorite...Ha HA HAAAA!!!

I kill me.....here all week!!!!!!!!!!


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## Em MacIntosh (Jun 6, 2007)

I agree.  My favorite elbows are my own.


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## Touch Of Death (Jun 6, 2007)

Jdokan said:


> One I'm NOT getting hit with...That's my favorite...Ha HA HAAAA!!!
> 
> I kill me.....here all week!!!!!!!!!!


Crickets chirping...


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## whitetiger2001 (Jun 8, 2007)

Roundhouse elbow off a kick to the shin..  Of course a rising elbow to the chin works well too.


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## tellner (Jun 8, 2007)

Elbows and knees are the big guns of our system. They're in just about everything we do, and whenver we practice techniques or entries it's implicitly assumed that whatever we do with the basic format will be liberally sprinkled with them.


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## James_of_a_thousand_naps (Jun 8, 2007)

snap, long range, upward, downward, horizontal, pure vertical - all good, depends on the situation. Best use? for welcoming a punch right onto the tip.


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## Touch Of Death (Jun 8, 2007)

James_of_a_thousand_naps said:


> snap, long range, upward, downward, horizontal, pure vertical - all good, depends on the situation. Best use? for welcoming a punch right onto the tip.


I broke a gurs hand that way once.
sean


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## megat (Jun 10, 2007)

reverse elbow, good for someone sneaking behind u, but man that ong bak guy show a lot of elbow technique and some pretty out there too, hehhehe wish i can do em but no chance


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## qi-tah (Jun 15, 2007)

I'm kinda short so i'm always looking for an oppertunity to get in close and use my elbows. Uppercut elbows are great. The ba gua zhang i am learning at the moment has a form called "The old eight elbows"... colliding, scooping, smashing, splitting, framing, winding, chopping (i think?) and double bracing. I'm still sussing out all the apps for that lot...


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## Em MacIntosh (Jun 15, 2007)

That's totally new to me.  All I know about bagua zhang is that it's northern-chinese, translated it means something like "eight star path or eight fold path", it's internal and I think it has a lot to do with multiple attackers.  The "old eight elbows" sounds pretty good to me.  Keep it up.


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## tradrockrat (Jun 16, 2007)

tellner said:


> Elbows and knees are the big guns of our system. They're in just about everything we do, and whenver we practice techniques or entries it's implicitly assumed that whatever we do with the basic format will be liberally sprinkled with them.



Bingo.  Same here.


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## qi-tah (Jun 17, 2007)

Em MacIntosh said:


> That's totally new to me. All I know about bagua zhang is that it's northern-chinese, translated it means something like "eight star path or eight fold path", it's internal and I think it has a lot to do with multiple attackers. The "old eight elbows" sounds pretty good to me. Keep it up.


 
Thanks matey! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 I've always heard it translated as "eight trigrams boxing" myself.

Actually, going back over my notes, i've stuffed up the names of the old elbows set... it's colliding, scooping, *crossing*, *covering*, framing, winding, *returning body piercing* and double bracing. Got the names kinda mixed up with another set... apols. 
One of the interesting thing i've noticed about this set btw is that it is more often the waist (and footwork of course) that does the majority of the attack, which very little force coming from the shoulder. Also, the defending arm is often also used as a counterweight to lend more oomph to the strike.


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## Em MacIntosh (Jun 18, 2007)

Indeed, kung fu can be quite the mace and chain.  Hands are for gripping.  I find elbows to be a much more natural weapon than hand strikes.  Another one I like for the power (use on a soft or soft-ish target like the ribs) forearm as if you were doing a ridge-hand.  I guess it can qualify as an elbow.


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## megat (Jun 18, 2007)

but gotta be careful when using elbow, it is lethal , u can crack some ribs or skull more easily with it.


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## tellner (Jun 18, 2007)

megat said:


> but gotta be careful when using elbow, it is lethal , u can crack some ribs or skull more easily with it.



Well, umm, yes. That's why we use them. It beats breaking your hand on someone's head.


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## Steel Tiger (Jun 18, 2007)

Em MacIntosh said:


> Indeed, kung fu can be quite the mace and chain. Hands are for gripping. I find elbows to be a much more natural weapon than hand strikes. Another one I like for the power (use on a soft or soft-ish target like the ribs) forearm as if you were doing a ridge-hand. I guess it can qualify as an elbow.


 
I find the elbow to be a great weapon too.  We have these folding or collapsing techniques whereby a hand strike is followed with an elbow with the same arm, like palm strike then elbow; or palm strike, palm strike (other hand), then elbow (either side).  Ribs are a great target but I also like the neck, back of the skull, and the jaw.


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## jdinca (Jun 19, 2007)

Grab the head with one hand and smash it with the other elbow.


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## Steel Tiger (Jun 19, 2007)

jdinca said:


> Grab the head with one hand and smash it with the other elbow.


 
I like that too.


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## Em MacIntosh (Jun 20, 2007)

Have we elbowed this thread to death yet?  I like'em all.  Elbows are great.  Defensive and offensive.  Are there any other particular drawbacks other than range?


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## tellner (Jun 20, 2007)

Drawbacks? Well, a lot of people throw the vertical elbow too high which destroys their structure and makes them vulnerable.


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## jdinca (Jun 20, 2007)

tellner said:


> Drawbacks? Well, a lot of people throw the vertical elbow too high which destroys their structure and makes them vulnerable.



Yep. If the elbow is above shoulder level, you could have problems.


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## Em MacIntosh (Jun 20, 2007)

I've never been good at the tate-empi or rising elbow, IMO, because it's too slow for my tastes.  A good elbow but it doesn't feel anatomically efficient to me.  It's also tougher to practice on the heavy bag, I find.


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## Steel Tiger (Jun 20, 2007)

jdinca said:


> Yep. If the elbow is above shoulder level, you could have problems.


 
No doubt about it.  I have noticed if an elbow is thrown too high the person rises up on the toes and throws their balance out.


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## tellner (Jun 20, 2007)

The vertical elbow starts to lose power when it interferes with structure. For me that's when the upper arm is just a few degrees below horizontal or the hand passes the ear. I've found that it can help to think of it as a forward elbow rather than a rising one. When the elbow is moving straight up instead of forward and up you've gone too far. Not that you shouldn't take that shot to the chin if it presents itself. Just know that you're no longer using "as directed".


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## jdinca (Jun 20, 2007)

A nice elbos combinition is to drive the elbow on an upward angle through the ribs (the attacker should bend down and towards you in response) and then bring the elbow back over the top down to the base of the skull. Should make him not want to fight anymore.


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## Em MacIntosh (Jun 21, 2007)

tellner said:


> The vertical elbow starts to lose power when it interferes with structure. For me that's when the upper arm is just a few degrees below horizontal or the hand passes the ear. I've found that it can help to think of it as a forward elbow rather than a rising one. When the elbow is moving straight up instead of forward and up you've gone too far. Not that you shouldn't take that shot to the chin if it presents itself. Just know that you're no longer using "as directed".


 
Thanks.  I'll take that into consideration.  I like the repeated roundhouse elbow flurry.  Especially if I can get set up for a leaping "elbow clothesline".


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## megat (Jun 22, 2007)

must have suficient skill becauseare not like fist. u need to have enough knowledge about the turuning of the body and foot placemet. the other drawback is range hehhe.


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## Batleth (Jul 10, 2007)

whitetiger2001 said:


> ....a rising elbow to the chin works well too.


 
My favorite one.


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## Em MacIntosh (Jul 10, 2007)

The prettiest elbow, IMO, is if you have them bent back over your knee and you drop an elbow from as high as you can into their solar plexus.  A little movie jitsu but it is a real technique so I imagine there's a time and place...


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## Kosho Gakkusei (Jul 10, 2007)

megat said:


> must have suficient skill becauseare not like fist. u need to have enough knowledge about the turuning of the body and foot placemet. the other drawback is range hehhe.


 
True.  In some close quarters the range of an elbow is an advantage.

_Don Flatt


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## Doc_Jude (Jul 11, 2007)

Since rising elbow has been taken to death...
Palm to back of head/Elbow between the eyes...

Now, the elbow I hate the most is a dropping elbow blocking my kick. Right on the top of the foot. The only thing worse then getting your kick scooped is getting it scooped right into an elbow to the foot or ankle. 

I REALLY HATE THAT !!!

 and yet, this is an elbow application that I really wish to master!
(mostly 'cause it hurts so bad)


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## Em MacIntosh (Jul 11, 2007)

One of the main reasons I hate kicking high, even in sparring.


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## bluemtn (Jul 11, 2007)

Doc_Jude said:


> Since rising elbow has been taken to death...
> *Palm to back of head/Elbow between the eyes...*
> 
> Now, the elbow I hate the most is a dropping elbow blocking my kick. Right on the top of the foot. The only thing worse then getting your kick scooped is getting it scooped right into an elbow to the foot or ankle.
> ...


 

I like all of the elbows I've seen/ done...  If I had to pick one, I'd say what was mentioned above (bold).  

Yes, getting elbowed in the shins/ muscle/ etc. really isn't fun!


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## James_of_a_thousand_naps (Jul 18, 2007)

I have a couple of problems with the reverse elbow, one that it means you have to turn away from the opponent which can leave you open, two because the triceps continue down the arm to the rear of the elbow meaning blows delivered with that part of the elbow could end up doing more harm to yourself as opposed to using the front of the elbow which has a good deal of pure bone.


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## Em MacIntosh (Jul 18, 2007)

James_of_a_thousand_naps said:


> I have a couple of problems with the reverse elbow, one that it means you have to turn away from the opponent which can leave you open, two because the triceps continue down the arm to the rear of the elbow meaning blows delivered with that part of the elbow could end up doing more harm to yourself as opposed to using the front of the elbow which has a good deal of pure bone.


 
That is an excellent point.  For me, I'd use it if I ended up in a position to.  I find it's very quick and powerful, preferrably used against softer targets like the chest, throat or stomach but can definitely hurt the jaw too.


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## Touch Of Death (Jul 18, 2007)

Em MacIntosh said:


> That is an excellent point. For me, I'd use it if I ended up in a position to. I find it's very quick and powerful, preferrably used against softer targets like the chest, throat or stomach but can definitely hurt the jaw too.


No reason to restrict yourself to hard targets.
Sean


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