Windmill Guard

[HKphooey]

Let's discuss Windmill Guard. I have always loved this technique. I will post the basics of the technique. I am sure there are many variations...

Windmill Guard
Attack: Straight Right Punch

• Start with feet together.
• Opponent throws a straight right punch.
• Step left foot to about 10:30 (or to a 45 angle) as you left inward parry the the punch.
• Right hand moves into check groin area and continues into a clockwise motion up to the attacker's arm.
• Replace the left parry with a right wrist grab (right parry into a grab).
• Pull right wrist grab towards your side as you deliver a right roundhouse to the groin, stomach or attaker's knee.
• Plant right kick back to point of origin.
• Keep left hand in check position near the attacker's lead shoulder (incase wirst grab is released).
• Not part of the original technique, but I like to follow up with an armbar, bringing the attacker to the ground.

 

[MJS]

Yes, thats the way I learned it as well. I like the idea of the armbar. Some other possibilities I've come across: If you're too close for the roundhouse kick, a knee to the midsection can be used in its place. After the roundhouse kick, a left spinning back could also be used as a follow up.

Mike

 

[Kenpojujitsu3]

Reminds me of "Evading The Storm" and "Protecting Fans". And Armbars are always great

 

[Flying Crane]

I always liked this one.

One variation I like is to replace the roundhouse kick with a good solid sidekick to the knee or ribs.

another thought: when you make the second grab to his arm with your right hand, you can grab high over his upper arm. Your fingers wrap over his arm and you can dig them into the tissue and rake them across the tendons under the muscle. Dig around and see if you can find them. I like to call it "plucking the guitar strings". When you hit them right, your partner will let you know, it has an unpleasant feeling, kind of weird and hard to describe, not just ordinary painful.

Similar techniques that begin the same: Bending the Staff and Dropping the Staff, but the initial evasion step is out to about 9:00. Follow with a sidekick instead of a roundhouse, and the finishing moves are different. I think these three all sort of fit into a "category" of techniques, that use variations of the same idea.

 

[Sigung86]

There are a number of very cool things about Windmill Guard (A,B).

1. It can be modified very easily (with almost no changes) to deal with virtually any frontal attack.

2. It can be done with no hands (I often demo it's utility with hands tucked in my belt)

3. Because it is such a generally good tool and so easy to use in a modified form, it is a great little technique to use when teaching a very limited (time and size-wise) women's or children's self defense class.

When I teach it, I often tell the students/class that if I had only one technique that I could use or teach to anyone else, it would be Windmill Guard.

BTW... For the EPAKers who might read this, the B version is simply Windmill Guard done by stepping off to 2:00

 

[Jim Hanna]

Dan,

You and I are on the same page with this technique. It is a great technique for a woman and is not dependant upon a grab. And it does not depend upon a step through with the punch.

Jim

 

[KenpoDave]

It has some great nerve strikes/grabs in it as well as vital organ strikes. It blends into all 4 phases of the Kosho concepts very easily, and I particularly like experimenting with the joint striking aspects of it. For example, delivering the roundhouse with the toe or toe of the shoe directly to the hip-pointer creates a neat folding effect. The roundhouse to the left shoulder, striking the point used in Drawbridge throws the right arm violently forward while the body slumps and makes the arm bar takedown something the opponent almost falls into for you.

And then there is the version of it in 4th Black, 3 Tongues of Fire, where the roundhouse is delivered in triplicate, another good place to experiment with nerve striking with kicks.

 

[stickarts]

Let's discuss Windmill Guard. I have always loved this technique. I will post the basics of the technique. I am sure there are many variations...

Windmill Guard
Attack: Straight Right Punch

• Start with feet together.
• Opponent throws a straight right punch.
• Step left foot to about 10:30 (or to a 45 angle) as you left inward parry the the punch.
• Right hand moves into check groin area and continues into a clockwise motion up to the attacker's arm.
• Replace the left parry with a right wrist grab (right parry into a grab).
• Pull right wrist grab towards your side as you deliver a right roundhouse to the groin, stomach or attaker's knee.
• Plant right kick back to point of origin.
• Keep left hand in check position near the attacker's lead shoulder (incase wirst grab is released).
• Not part of the original technique, but I like to follow up with an armbar, bringing the attacker to the ground.

Okay...okay! We will work this next class!
Thats how I learned it as well.