How to use Chopsticks in Hapkido to Defend Against a Shoulder Grab From the Rear

Chopsticks are not yet officially part of any martial art, though several hapkido masters have been making appeals along those lines to the World Hapkido Association, given the high number of dojos that teach “unofficial” self-defense routines using chopsticks. While such an approach may seem odd to the modern Western mind, combat routines that use chopsticks serve two purposes: They work to develop the hand strength and dexterity of the martial artist who manipulates chopsticks in a fight; and they promote lateral thinking to get people into the mindset of seeing everyday items as potential weapons of self-defense.This particular technique focuses on defending yourself against an opponent who grabs your shoulder from behind and attempts to pull you backward, manipulating your position.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Chopsticks
• Cushioned practice mats

1. Begin standing normally, facing away from your opponent. Hold your chopsticks casually in your right hand with equal lengths sticking from the top and bottom of your fist. Your opponent will approach from the side or from behind you, and will face your back from your right rear quarter. He will grab the top of your right shoulder with his left hand and pull backward, in an attempt to get you to turn and present your face so he can punch it with his cocked right fist.

2. Reach across with your open left hand to hover over your right cheek, in order to ward off a punch if your opponent should launch one before you can counterattack.

3. Allow your body to turn as your attacker pulls you, pivoting clockwise on your left foot. As you draw sidelong to your opponent, widen your stance by planting your right foot a good 2 feet farther to your right. This will require you to bend deeply at the knees, forming what is known as a Stone Bench stance. This has two benefits: It drops your profile to give your arms better access to your opponent’s torso, and it also lowers your center of gravity, improving your balance.

4. Swing your right fist in a downward, outward moving arc to slam the back of your chopsticks into your attacker’s groin. If you don’t wish to do any serious damage, aim for the abdomen above the groin or the inner thigh to the side of the groin.

5. Use your open left hand to take hold of your opponent’s wrist that is still holding your right shoulder. Bring your right arm up and out to your side, then bring it down slowly over the top of your opponent’s arm to hook the back of your chopsticks over the front of the elbow joint.

6. Push your right fist down against the inside of the elbow joint to force your opponent to his knees.

7. Push the entire length of your right arm forward, over the top of your opponent’s arm, to point the flat of your fist toward the ground. From here, bring your extended fist up and to your right in an arc, impacting the points of your chopsticks with the underside of your opponent’s chin. Remember to follow through with your arc so that your fist is raised in the air above your opponent, whose head has been knocked back and whose throat is exposed. If you consider it necessary to your safety or survival, hammer the chopsticks back down to puncture the base of your opponent’s throat. This finishing strike is only for use in a life-or-death situation, as it is fatal. In most cases, the upward swing of the fist into the base of the chin is sufficient to incapacitate your opponent.

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