Kenpo Karate Orange Belt Techniques
Orange Belt is the first step into the core of self-defense. I remember it took me 1 year and a half to get to an orange belt, not because I did not want to test just because I felt I was not ready at all. I felt I needed to improve other areas as well. Depending on the school you train at you might have other requirements besides the Kenpo basics, self-defense and forms. In my case, I also had to learn sweeps, how to fall in all directions, and Kumite techniques, and Japanese Karate forms. In this stage we are like tigers, we are strong, we love learning what we are doing but we still struggle with speed, accuracy, and timing.
Stances
- Horse stance
- Neutral Bow
- Forward Bow
- Reverse Bow
- Cat Stance 45°
- Forward Bow
- Reverse Bow
- Close kneel
- Wide kneel
Blocks
These Kenpo Karate Blocks are defensive at this stage, here is when you start learning the Kenpo Universal Pattern to enhance and provide direction to your training.
- Upward block
- Inward block
- Downward block
- Outward block
- Outward extended block
- Push down block
Parries
- Inward Parry
- Outward Parry
Punches
- Horizontal Punch
- Vertical Punch
Finger Techniques
- Horizontal Finger Thrust
- Vertical Finger Thrust
- Back horizontal thrust
- Overhead Whip
- Outward Whip
- Overhead Claw
Strikes
These Kenpo Karate Strikes are the ones you will need for Kenpo Karate Self Defense Techniques and you will continue to use them along the way.
- Inward hand sword
- Outward hand sword
- Obscure elbow
- Inward elbow strike
- Outward Elbow strike
- Overhead Elbow Strike
- Overhead Heel Palm Strike
- Back hammer fist
- Inward hammer fist
- Straight heel palm (High, Middle, and Low)
- Back Elbow Strike
- Upward Elbow Strike
Kicks
These kicks are important but you will not use them as much as you think, keep in mind most kicks go to the groin and middle section. But is good to know them because if you like to spar then you might be using them in sparring and tournament. If you love kicks as much as I do then I highly recommend you this article I wrote: How to do the Splits in Two Weeks you will see me doing the exercises and doing the splits.
- Front snap kick
- Front thrust kick
- Side snap kick
- Side thrust kick
- Back snap kick
- Back thrust kick
- Roundhouse kick (snap and thrust)
- Front Snap Knee
- Front Thurst Knee
Foot Maneuvers
These Kenpo Karate foot maneuvers are fundamental in everything you do in Kenpo Self defense techniques and in sparring. You have to be able to move around your opponent in a proper way, you will need to dominate all your required stances and apply them with your foot maneuvers. Remember if the target does not move then is easy to hit it.
- Drag and step
- Step and drag
- Push drag
- Step through (forward and reverse)
- Front crossover (forward and reverse)
- Switch
- Cover
These are the self-defense techniques required for Orange Belt, you will find some of these in our Kenpo forms and they will help you understand them better. Learn them by their name and not by the number.
When you continue your training in American Kenpo Karate you will see all these techniques again in the first-degree brown belt rank, the same techniques but with an extension.
Orange Belt Self Defense Techniques
- Clutching Feathers. Front left-hand hair grab.
- Triggered Salute. Front right-hand direct push.
- Dance of Death. (Front straight right straight punch.
- Gift of destruction Handshake.
- Locking Horns. Front Headlock.
- Lone Kimono. Front left-hand lapel grab.
- Glancing Salute. Front roundhouse right punch.
- Five Swords. Front roundhouse right punch.
- Scraping Hoof. Full Nelson.
- Grip of Death. Left flank right headlock.
- Crossing Talon. Front right cross wrist grab.
- Shielding Hammer. Front hooking left punch.
- Striking Serpent’s Head. Front bear hug- arms free.
- Thrusting Salute. Front straight right snap kick.
- Locked Wing. Right rear hammerlock.
- Obscure wing. Right flank, left-hand shoulder grab.
- Reversing Mace. Front straight left punch.
- Buckling Branch. Front straight left kick.
- Thrusting Prongs. Front bear hug- arms pinned.
- Twisted Twig. Front wrist lock.
- Obscure Sword. Right flank, left-hand shoulder grab.
- Repeating Mace. Front left-hand push.
- Raining Claw. Front uppercut right punch.
- Crashing Wings. Rear bear hug- arms free.
- Forms: Long form #1
- Sets: Kicking set #1
