69: Dan-Gun rising blocks

In my second e-book, I provided an application for two consecutive rising blocks, using the ITF chamber to wrap the arm.

Two rising blocks as a block followed by an armlock. The source link at https://www.nantanreikan.ca/ is now broken.

However, in Dan-Gun there are four rising blocks in total, so for a symmetric form, the intended set might be three rising blocks. My suggestion in the e-book was that if the opponent defended with their free arm, you could then lock their other arm. This would be the third "block".

Here is a different interpretation. Ideally:

• We want an application that uses three rising blocks (the fourth is repeating the application on the other side)
• We want to use the ITF chamber (or some approximation of it)

We start from a failed low block throw. 

Low block as a throw.

With a slight modification, we can use the first rising block to break the opponent's elbow, similar to Kenpo's "lone kimono" technique

Source: dojotelevision

Important to this technique is how we use our right fist to roll the opponent's arm such that their elbow is pointed down, so our right fist is positioned more like the rising block chamber. 

If this fails to break the opponent's elbow (perhaps they overpower you and bend their elbow), we follow using the second rising block as a strike. Normally I don't like to apply it as a strike, but the ITF chamber works well for this since the blocking arm sets up inside the reaction arm. I often see karateka teaching this application.

Rising block as a strike. Source: Brian Bates

That leaves the third "block" as forcing the opponent's arm up behind their back an you pull down their head with the pulling hand. 

In this case, the aim is not to keep the opponent's arm straight. We want to fold the opponent's arm behind their back as we do the three-quarter turn (knifehand block chamber). After we do this, we can knifehand strike the back of the opponent's head.