Two-handed thrust

Yangson jjireum (양손 찌름, "two-handed thrust") is one of the two forms of jjireum (찌름, thrust) in kumdo. The other is the one-handed thrust, hanson jjireum (한손 찌름). According to the Korea Kumdo Association (대한검도회), both are aimed at the opponent's throat.

• Execution: per the Association, the practitioner kicks off the left foot, jumps in with the right, wrings both fists inward and extends both arms to thrust at the opponent's throat. The thrust is to be made from the waist, not with the arms alone.
• Starting posture: the Association's textbook describes it from the middle guard (중단세, jungdanse), as an extension of the pressure (공세, gongse) applied to the opponent.
• Grip and body: the textbook says to hold the bamboo sword (죽도, jukdo) lightly, relax the shoulders and arms, and thrust with the strength of the lower abdomen while keeping the waist upright.
• Variants: the textbook gives two bases for yangson jjireum: the outside thrust (바깥 찌름, bakkat jjireum) and the inside thrust (안 찌름, an jjireum). Another Korean source also mentions thrusts from above and from below.
• Opportunity: in the "thrust from pressure" (공세에서의 찌름, gongseeseoui jjireum), the throat (인후부, inhubu) is thrust when the opponent lowers the point or leaves the center. It may be done with both hands or one.
• Compared with the one-handed thrust: according to an answer on a Korean kumdo site, the one-handed thrust works better at long range. The same answer calls yangson jjireum the essence of the thrust: body weight goes into it, so it is harder to deflect, and both hands stay on the sword, so the next attack can follow quickly.

English-language kendo sources call the corresponding technique morote-tsuki (諸手突き), in contrast with the one-handed katate-tsuki.