Also, "Two-Handed Pluck," page 132-133 of Darren Levine, et al., Krav Maga for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to the World's Easiest-to-Learn, Most-Effective Fitness and Fighting Program, Ulysses, 2009.
Also, "Two-Handed Pluck," page 60-61 of Darren Levine, et al., Complete Krav Maga: The Ultimate Guide to Over 230 Self-Defense and Combative Techniques, Ulysses, 2007.
Step 12-19 of H. Yondan includes the "wedge block" clusters, with their associated front kicks, front punches, and reverse punches.
In my experience, the "wedge block" is usually explained as a defense against a hand choke from in front. I have been admonished that the block must be applied while the attacker is reaching for your neck. If you wait until the choke is in place, they say, you won't be able to break his grip on your neck. This is nonsense. A hand choke is a very weak grip. To break it, just plant your hand on the attacker's chest and push him away. If you want to put an edge on it, push him away by using your fingertips in the hollow of his throat. Your neck pulls out through his fingers, leaving him grasping air.
Hakkoryu jujutsu has a "secret" technique that deals nicely with a hand choke, and that mimics the motions of the kata almost exactly. It also gives us the fourth and fifth examples of nidou geri in this kata. The technique is riote kanoha gaeshi. Kanoha gaeshi or "turning leaf" is an alternate name for te nage, the common hand throw. Riote means "both hands." You will apply the te nage lock to both of his hands at the same time. The Krav Maga people call this the "Two-Handed Pluck."
The opponent stands in front of you and grabs your throat to choke you. His thumbs are on the front of your throat. (Caution your students to keep the thumb pressure light, or serious injury may result.) Reach up and apply the jujutsu "pistol grip" to each of his hands. It is not difficult to apply the te nage grip to each of his hands, and to peel his hands off of your neck. This places the opponent in a painful predicament because his wrists are locked in opposite directions. Most people in this situation bow at the waist to take some of the pressure off the wrist joints.
In this posture, you have total control over the enemy:
- You can push and pull on his hands to move him around the room, like steering a wheelbarrow.
- If you push both hands downward, you can make him bow deeply toward you.
- Pull his hands toward you while pushing down. He will sprawl face-down on the floor.
- Push his hands toward his shoulders. He'll sprawl over on his back.
- Pull one of his hands toward you, and push the other away. He will roll over in midair and land on his back. He rolls toward the side that you pulled on. If he manages to resist, just reverse the push-pull. He'll flop over on the opposite side.
In step 12, the opponent attempts the hand choke. You apply the double kanoha gaeshi to his hands and tear them off your throat. Force him to bend at the waist, bowing toward you.
In step 13, perform the nihou geri, striking his face with your knee and his groin with your foot.
Step 14-15, usually thought of as punches, are the push-pull on his locked wrists. He'll flip over on his back, out of your way.
Step 16-19 are the mirror image.
