<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Navigation:  Forms and Sets > Short Form 3 > Variations > Specific Variations > Grip of Death / Locked Wing - Transition

This variation is generally considered non-destructive.

 

The final maneuver of Grip of Death, plus the transition into the first maneuver of Locked Wing can have a number of variations. Generally, these variations revolve around what to do with the right arm / hand at the end of Grip of Death and into the transition to the first maneuver of Locked Wing.

 

a) To Check or not to Check

The variation to the final maneuver of Grip of Death would be to position the right arm / hand horizontally behind the body as in the first maneuver of Locked Wing, rather than leaving it vertically in front of the body.

 

Rationale for each Variation

The rationale for keeping the arm / hand vertical is that it is more physically correct with a potential opponent. By this it is meant that the arm / hand would be properly positioned to safely allow the potential opponent to be forced away from your body (by the left heel-palm), while still maintaining a check over the potential opponent's left arm (with the shape of the crane). Secondly, it arguably matches the opposite side to the final maneuver of Striking Serpent's Head. This match is primarily visual, but also has some basis in physical analysis.

 

The rationale for retracting the arm / hand behind the body is that it is more efficient to position the right arm / hand for the next maneuver and therefore no need to re-position the arm / hand during the transition. Also, since there is no real opponent it is not necessary to keep the check.

 

b) When to Re-position your Arm / Hand

Exactly when should the right arm / hand be reposition between the two techniques. Assuming that the arm / hand is kept vertical (ideal phase), then there are three (3) possible points in time that the re-positioning of the arm / hand can be executed:

 

1.prior to transitional foot maneuver

2.during transitional foot maneuver

3.at the end of the transition foot maneuver

 

Rationale for each Variation

There is no substantial rationale for each variation, it mostly comes down to which variation feels the most comfortable to the practitioner. The most popular variation (and the ideal phase) is to re-position the arm / hand during the transitional foot maneuver. The next most popular is to re-position the arm / hand prior to execution of the transitional foot maneuver. This variation is typically considered a compromise to the two (2) options of the first variation, allowing both options to co-exist.