Karate - Tang Soo Do Intermediate Techniques and Forms

Adapt techniques to age and limitations, selecting kicks from waist to ankle level and higher stances to reduce knee and hip stress. Karate remains a self defense practice for all.

Develop a fighting mindset during training and forms by visualizing an attacker and targeting the solar plexus, nose, or jaw, with focus, intent, and speed for health, fitness, and self-defense.

Extend your intermediate blocking by treating blocks as receiving and redirecting attacks, not meeting force with force. Use the concept of Huguet to turn strikes to advantage as you practice.

Execute the parry and check by lifting the hand across the center line to redirect the strike, then step to two o'clock or ten o'clock and guide it off course.

Master the four directional blocking in karate, using wrist and palm heel to block up, down, outside, and across, then practice each block individually in a four-step sequence.

Master the mantis block to deflect a straight punch across the body at a 45-degree angle, then grab and pull down with three fingers; train with a towel and door.

Master the backfist in karate by staying relaxed, using the back knuckles as the striking surface, and delivering fast, powerful blows to the nose, jaw, temple, ribs, and kidneys.

Learn the ridge hand, formed by the inner portion of the hand with a tucked thumb and a slightly bent arm, targeting the solar plexus or ribs in close.

Form the spear hand with slightly bent fingers and a square fingertip surface, targeting the eyes or throat in self‑defense while avoiding solid objects for safe training.

Master relaxed elbow techniques by rotating the hips, whipping the elbow through the target, and keeping the body behind the strike to maximize power.

Learn intermediate cooking techniques with a focus on proper information, power, and speed, while adapting to head-height or waist-level kicks and outlining the intermediate-level kits.

Warm up head to toe before any stretching, improve posture, and loosen neck, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles with standing and seated stretches.

Learn the back kick, an intermediate technique for threats from behind that targets the solar plexus, knee, and groin. Chamber, look over your shoulder, and drive the heel straight back.

Learn the inside pressing kick in Tang Soo Do, a rear-leg crescent that travels across the centerline to strike waist to head-height targets, with chair drills to learn hip motion.

Master the outside crescent kick through chair-assisted drills, swinging the rear leg across the body and up with hip action, targeting the center of the chair, then hands or face.

Master scoop kick and stamping kick, low-level techniques that sweep the rear foot to the knee or shin while driving weight forward and stamping with the inside of the foot.

Master Tang Soo Do hyung through three stages: learn the form’s emberson and spirit, then practice techniques and rhythm, and finally polish with speed, power, and intent.

Explore the Pyung Ahn Cho Dan Hyung intermediate form, featuring 22 movements with left low block, suckerpunch, hammer fist, center punches, high blocks, chops, and 45-degree angles, practiced in sections.

Learn Pyung Ahn Ee Dan Hyung, a form with 29 movements, taught in sections and slow motion, to refine double blocks, uppercuts, chambering, horse stance, sidekick, and spear hand thrust.

Explore Pyung Ahn Sam Dan Hyung, an intermediate karate form with twenty-seven movements, featuring blocks, punches, inside crescent kicks, center punches, back fists, and multi-stance sequences.

Learn abdominal breathing and meditation to clear the mind before training, using upright posture, breathing from the dontae, and two standing exercises to reduce stress and sharpen focus.