Tags
cross training, footwork drills, karate, life protection, martial arts, self-defense, solo training, striking, youtube
It has been over three weeks since I have done any writing on this blog and it is high time I get back to it. I have plenty of excuses but I don’t want to bore you. The good news is that my training has not suffered and I hope you can say the same. As I have written many times before, blogging does not make me a better martial artist; practicing martial arts makes me a better martial artist.
I came across a YouTube video last week that I want to share. What struck me is how the outcome of a fight can hinge on a single skill. In this case, the skill is head movement and, although different from how I might approach it, this guy (Trav) seems to prove its effectiveness. Take a look:
An instructor of mine liked to repeat a mantra that I now share with my students. “What is the first rule of karate?” he would ask. The answer, “Don’t get hit.” The above video demonstrates that even well-practiced avoidance can improve you chances of following this simple rule. Certainly a good fighting strategy requires more than just a head bob, and Trav is quick to say the same thing. His understanding of distance and timing are excellent but clearly, in a real fight, he would want to engage other skills too. There is no guarantee that one skill, one punch, one anything will ever be enough, in all circumstances, to insure safety.
But, having said that,the whole idea got me thinking about how, in traditional martial arts training, we do tend to break things down first for the purposes of learning. Once the skills are adequate, we put them together with others. Footwork, strikes, kicks, grappling; they are all first learned in isolation and then combined. And, no matter how long you have been training, there is still value in practicing parts by themselves.
But, rather than assuming that you will need to combine skills to be effective, what if you practiced each move as if it was all you had to use? Can you keep someone at bay with just low kicks to the ankles? With just footwork and body movement? With just punches or elbows, or knees? With just blocks? This last one is probably the most misunderstood since many people train blocks simply as tools for avoidance. I have seen karateka debilitate attackers by using “blocks” to strike pressure points on the arm. Having benefited from receiving those “blocks” myself, I certainly think they deserve plenty of practice.
In the end, you may find that limiting your options while training creates an intensity and focus that was missing before. Once you have practiced each technique with a “live or die” type of commitment, the next challenge is maintaining that focus when putting the techniques together. A simple example might be a standard jab/cross combination. Often the jab is thrown light and quick and the cross carries all the real power. Try throwing the jab with the same level of knock-out power and see how the whole combination changes.
You never know which skills are going to be the ones you need. Taking each one on its own, as if it is the only one you have, can be a great way to open your mind to the possibilities that they all have to offer.
Adam, Adam, Adam. I would agree with your thoughts about isolation training but the problem with the video was that all they could do was hit to the head. I personally take Taika’s words “Why you Americans always go to the head?” to heart. I too focus on a specific aspect but would not want to rely solely on one thing. But you and he basically said that. My point is not really visible because apparently I don’t have one. However, I tend to go with the philosophy that I don’t pick what I’m going to do and I don’t focus on what you do so much as cover myself and attack the opening you present. I saw quite a few openings presented in the video but they were only allowed to hit the head so I’d say if you want to focus on just using one technique then you also have to ensure that no other techniques would work against you. Now I have a point! ; -)
Ippon Kumite anyone?
I think the video has to be taken for what it is… an exercise. What I appreciated about it was that, given a few rules for protection, he challenged strangers using only a single aspect of his arsenal. Any broader targeting by the attackers would have forced him to do a lot more. Protecting everything, all the time? Let’s just say I am a work in progress. But, playing the odds (and the odds, in this country, seem to favor head punches) is also something Taika talked about. Thanks for giving it a read.
Adam.. I enjoy your entries. In this one, I’d also say that look at the timings offered by his attackers. Not much variance in the combos. Makes it easier to gain a feel for reading the individual. The ones that were successful in landing strikes closed distance holding the control of the timing.
Thanks for the comments Ron. I couldn’t agree more. We often discuss playing the odds; training for the most likely scenarios (right handers, head hunters, etc.) and this video certainly suggests that this strategy works much of the time but not ALL the time.