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This question can basically be answered by using one of the major themes of Form Five combined with a few general rules of American Kenpo.

 

First, the theme. As presented throughout this guide one of the key details of Form Five is that it is often referred to as the take-down form. Because Form Five concentrates on destabilizing the potential opponent, this then implies that the practitioner will need to deal with the potential opponent once they are on the ground, as opposed to standing up (opposites). If one were to contrast this scenario with previous forms, they will notice that the vast majority of strikes to the potential opponent occurred with the upper limbs, with only a handful of lower body strikes. This begs the question as to why this is true.

 

This query exposes the general rule: "closest effective weapon to closest available, effective target": which is a variation on the principle of economy of motion. In other words, if the potential opponent is on the ground, then it is more logical and preferable to strike the opponent with lower limb strikes, rather than upper limb strikes. This is not only true to obey the presented rule of economy of motion, but also because our legs are stronger than our arms and have the potential of generating more powerful strikes than our upper limbs; if used correctly.

 

"Correctly" is the key word of the previous statement. Form Five not only adheres to the economy of motion principle, but also expresses how the lower limbs may be used effectively, both alone and in conjunction with the rest of the body.

 

For example, Form Five has a number of stomping and other vise-like maneuvers to the potential opponent on the ground. These scenarios express another general rule about stomping (and lower body vise-like maneuvers): "in order to create an effective stomp the striking weapon should start at least three (3) times the height of the final target". This rule is then combined with another rule: "in order to generate a more effective stomp, one must transfer their weight onto the stomping weapon."

 

Notice that the word weapon is used in the previous statement, not foot. This is because Form Five also expresses these striking situations with both upper and lower weapons (e.g. hands and feet).

 

Furthermore, these previous rules can be expressed in a different way. The first rule basically says that the practitioner needs proper path of travel to make the strike more effective. And, the second rule basically says that one should use proper alignments and the proper power principle (in this case Gravitational Marriage) in order to make the strike more effective.

 

Another thing to notice: both expressions of the rules are basically the same, they are just tailored to the specific details of the situation. In this case the potential opponent is on the ground, rather than standing.

 

And, although these are not the only things to consider, nor the only perspective to take; they are one good starting place, when thinking about how to answer the question posed.