Tae Kwon Do Times — January 2018

into your knee stun. Securing the assailant also

improves your balance. Make sure that you stick

to targets which are low on the assailant’s body.

Number Four: The Eye Gouge

Th e eyes are an extremely vulnerable target. It

doesn’t matter how big you are or how strong

you are, you cannot fortify your eyes. If an

attacker gets close enough to you, you can

easily dig your fi ngers or thumbs into their eyes.

Temporarily blinding an attacker is one way of

diminishing the attacker enough for you to create

a window of opportunity in which to escape.

Number Five: The Double

Forearm Shield

Th e double forearm shield is accomplished by

using both forearms to slow and absorb the

assailant’s attack. Th ink of the arms as sponges

absorbing fl uid. Make contact on the assailant’s

arm both above and below the elbow, or make

contact with the assailant’s arm below the elbow

and across the chest. Th is is accomplished by

using the arm closest to the assailant’s wrist to

make contact on their forearm while the opposite

arm will make contact on their upper arm or

chest. Th is double arm contact helps to slow and

absorb the attack more effi ciently. Th e proper

angle for the double forearm absorption is 45

degrees. At 45 degrees, the body is very strong

in the biomechanical sense. Th is is the strongest

position for absorbing the assailant’s attack.

Number Six: The Iron Guard

Th e Iron Guard is well suited for defending

against the enemy’s live hand but should be

used against a blade only as an absolutely last

resort. Unlike the double forearm block, the

Iron Guard is not a sound defense against a

blade from a structural perspective. To begin

using the Iron Guard, the defender should bring

their hands, palms in, and place them on their

head. Th is creates a very tight guarded position.

Now, the hands do not stay here in a static

manner. Th e hands will stay close to the head

and will slide up and down and right to left as

needed to defend. When the hands slide back,

the elbows are brought forward. Th e hand cups

the back of the defender’s neck in an eff ort to

protect the base of the skull. In order to make

the defense work correctly, the defender must

also press his or her forearm close to his temple.

By keeping the forearm tight to the head, the

defender prevents getting hit by his own arm

when he receives the assailant’s impact. Th e tip

56 January 2018 / taekwondotimes.com