Scoop blocks are probably the most difficult block in our blocking drill. In an earlier post on blocking, I shared an observation from Jim Sheeran that the purpose of a block is to: “break, smash, bruise, and destroy the opponent’s weapon“. Scoop blocks are designed to this, but also to trap and control the oncoming weapon.
Trapping is a lot harder than blocking, and an attempt to trap will often fail. It’s said that a tiger’s ambush rush only succeeds about 5% of the time, and scoop blocks probably have a similar success ratio. Plus, once you have trapped the opponent’s weapon, you need a plan on what do do with it!
In the picture to the right, I’ve illustrated in the pink lines the two directions a scoop block might be made with my left hand. From someone looking in front of me, the inside scoop block (done with the left hand) goes in a clockwise direction. That same person would see an outside scoop block with the left hand go in a counter-clockwise direction.
The first step to working the scoop block is to just work the circular motion of the forearm, paying extra attention to the orientation of the fist.
Right hand inside scoop block exercise
Start with the forearm roughly vertical (bending at the elbow) with right hand in a fist, palm facing outward (away from you). Start moving the right fist in a clockwise position (from your perspective), starting at the top of the circle. As you reach the 3 o’clock position, the palm should be facing downwards. At 6:00, the palm is facing down and slightly inwards. At 9, the palm of the right fist is back to facing outward. Keep moving towards the top, and just before you get to the top, turn the fist to face you (this is where the trap would be secured).
Repeat, turning the palm of the right fist to face outward before you begin your next clockwise circle. Work this slowly so you can get the forearm movement smooth.
Right hand outside scoop block exercise
The motion of the blocking arm for the outside scoop block is similar to that of a down block, but the motion is continued to trap the weapon.
To work the outside scoop block: Start with the forearm roughly vertical (bending at the elbow) with right hand in a fist, palm facing inward. Start moving the right fist in a counter clockwise position (from your perspective), starting at the top of the circle. As you reach the 9 o’clock position, the palm should still be facing inwards. At 6:00, the palm is facing down and slightly inwards. At 3, the palm of the right fist is now facing outward. Keep moving towards the top, and just before you get to the top, turn the fist to face you (this is where the trap would be secured).
Repeat this counterclockwise movement, making sure the palm of the right fist faces inward before you begin your next counter-clockwise circle. Work this slowly so you can get the forearm movement smooth.
Left hand scoop block exercises
Once you get the right hand movement smooth, try working this motion with the left forearm. For inside scoop blocks, the left forearm moves in a counter-clockwise direction (from your perspective); for outside scoop blocks, the left forearm moves in a clockwise direction (just like the down block).
Keep practicing! Interested in reviewing past Bando minutes? Check out the Bando Minute archive!