Wrist-head strike
A two-strike combination in kumdo: first to the opponent's wrist (sonmok), then straight on to the head (meori). It takes advantage of the opening that the opponent's reaction to the first strike creates.
How to say it
- Korean
- 손목 머리치기sonmok meori chigi
- Spanish
- Corte al antebrazo y a la cabeza
- English
- Wrist-head strike
- Japanese
- 小手面こてめんkote-men
Wrist-head strike (손목 머리치기, sonmok meorichigi) is a combination technique in kumdo. The first strike goes to the wrist (sonmok, 손목) and the second to the head (meori, 머리).
The Korea Kumdo Association manual (대한검도회) lists it among the two-strike continuous attacks (2단 연속치기, idan yeonsokchigi), in the large-movement form (큰 동작 손목 → 머리치기). Per the manual, it is used when the opponent's spirit is strong and leaves no opening. The first attack acts as pressure (공세, gongse) to break the opponent's posture, and the second attack makes the strike.
- Two- and three-strike techniques catch the opening that appears after the first technique and strike again. The first strike must not be a mere feint; it has to be a precise strike.
- One source describes two cases. Against an opponent who raises the hands out of caution, you strike the wrist as the hand rises and go straight on to the head. If the opponent steps back, you strike the head directly.
- To link the strikes smoothly, the grip on the jukdo (죽도, bamboo sword) must be soft.
- A practitioner advises striking both wrist and head with full power, as if cutting, so that the body moves forward naturally from one to the other.
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