UK Kung-Fu Federation

Zone 3

Home / Escrima Concepts / Striking Zones / Zone 3

Striking Zone 3

Zone Three is another common area for the right-handed fighter to attack, and thus is explored within the first student programme. As a guide, beginners are initially taught to aim for the opponents hip in a flat arc, however the zone extends down to around knee/mid-calf level, encompassing the pelvis & leg. For the left-hander, a strike to this zone would be on the backhand.

The zone does not extend all the way to the ground, as dropping to strike an opponents ankle is a sure way to offer your own head. If an opponent is out of balance or position enough for you to hit their ankle, there is probably a more effective target for you to consider hitting.

As with Zone One, there are an unlimited number of attack angles which can fall within this region. It is a prime area to set-up further strikes, as an opponent may successfully defend a No.3 Strike (i.e. an attack to Zone 3) only to be over-turned & out of position - wide open to the rapid No.1 strike which is already on the way.

Attacks to Zone Three can often be effective if your opponent holds their guard too high, protecting their head. However beware the experienced fighter who may be setting a trap for you. (Remember: Things that look too good to be true usually are!) However, an opponent who poorly defends a good No.1 or No.2 may be wide open to a strike to this zone, as they struggle to regain balance & drop their guard to defend the left side of their body.

Read more about the characteristics of other Striking Zones below;

Zone Three forms part of the Basic Box Theory which you can learn more about in other parts of this site.

Valid CSSValid HTML