This is such a powerful tool that it should leave no question unanswered for you and allow you to create an infinite number of techniques and drills. As this is a principle rather than a technique based system, here are the principles:
PRINCIPLE1: you get what you train for
PRINCIPLE2: if you want a specific answer, ask a specific question
What's the problem with martial arts and artists? Why do they argue so much? Why cant we find one style that is the best? After all we all only have two eyes, two arms, two legs and one head. (Except if your from a "close community"). Never mind Dragon style, Tiger style, Twisted Badger, Irrational Donkey style... what about "human style"?
The problem is this:
you can't just fight. It hurts. Bits of you will break. That's why its called "fighting" not "hugging" or "tickling". You're trying to hurt each other. The only way to learn it is to do something dangerous and painful- its a double bind.
That is why one of streetfightsecrets.com 's prime objectives is to get as close to reality as possible as safely as possible. How do you do that?
Flying a plane is dangerous and potentially very expensive. Solution: Flight Simulators.
You must have a certain number of hours virtual "flight time" before you can competently do it for real.
We haven't yet got the technology to create a virtual reality simulator for hand to hand combat. Though we do have them for firearms training. Hand to hand is such an involved, complex, multi-sensory experience it could be many years yet before we do develop the technology to accomplish this objective satisfactorily.
Until then we must do the best we can. It is this aspect of out training that is the MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR in determining how proficient we are in reality (in the "street"!).
That is why the main focus of this manual is principles and drills. There are pictures and descriptions in the manual of techniques and options, but you should by now have seen all these before.
What would you have a hi-tech virtual reality fight simulator do? What scenarios would you focus on? What ranges?
Imagine that. You could practise for anything. What would it be? Can you get close to that in real life? In my experience the answer to that nine times out of ten would be: yes.
Game Theory
Imagine we had that kind of technology. What kind of games could we develop to teach kids (and adults) how to fight? I had an idea for a DOOM type game. In DOOM your first level attackers are really slow and use one attack over and over again, but your options are also crappy because you haven't picked up many weapons yet. Could we adapt that for street fighting? Yes. Is there a way of simulating it in the real world? Yes. But you need good training partners.
Here are a couple of ideas for games you could play for beginners learning to cope with multiple opponents.
level1. person who is "on" stands in middle of 5 opponents, she has to break out of the circle, opponents must keep her in without using their arms. (principle being developed is breaking the circle)
level2. person who is "on" wears gum shield. 5 opponents wear heavy gloves. They may attack her only with big, slow haymakers. They may hit her in the back of head. She must stay in arena without being hit for 45 seconds. (principle being developed is positioning so multiple attackers get in each others way and spatial, peripheral and rear awareness.)
level3. person who is "on" wears a gi top. All 5 attackers wear belly shields. The attackers objective is to drag her to the floor using gi. She may only defend with front kick strikes to belly shields. (develops use of front push kick to defend, coping with being pushed and pulled, maintaining balance under duress etc)
These are just some ideas for games or drills. You get what you train for. You are only ever as good as the games you play. My advise would be to keep these drills specific. Drill for a particular principle or technique. top of page Or...
You can use the FIGHT SIMULATOR as a means to answer questions. A really fun, creative thing to do that always creates a buzz with students is to present them with a problem and let them find their own solutions.
If a student has been attacked in a certain way or is worried about being attacked in a certain way or by a certain type of person work to create those circumstances and find a solution.
eg: one of my female students had been thrown up against a wall and pinned with a one handed lapel grab whilst being threatened with a glass in the assailants other hand. I got everyone in the class to do it with a partner and a water bottle as a prop. They came up with as many solutions and escapes and counterattacks as possible, we analysed some of the best ones and everyone experimented with them.
This works well because it causes the mind to think in a proactive, creative, solution finding way as in a real scenario. You must be able to think for yourself and think on your feet. From the best solutions we took from the class we then did a live drill. A live drill is like engaging in a section of a fight. Just for a few frames of the film. It should be very intense, but short lived (no more than 10 seconds, this is not sparring, unless you compare to three step sparring).
One of the counterattacks was as follows:
1. A slams D into wall. Left hand at lapel, right hand brandishing water bottle.
2. D drops weight and hips down and into wall, goes into an ambush response position: bends knees, curves spine, hunches shoulders, tucks in chin whilst simultaneously, raising both hands and setting her right foot against crease of where wall meets floor. right hand swings loose from outside in and up in anticlockwise direction (wouldn't break grip of larger stronger attacker but brings right arm back into play.)
3. Left hand reaches for attackers elbow crease to cover weapon wielding arm, right hand hooks attackers left collarbone. Springing off from wall with right foot, stamping down with left foot, straightening her spine, pushing her hips forward to drive a big knee into the groin whilst simultaneously yanking collarbone down and in towards her and clawing the forearm muscle points and pulling attackers right arm in and down. Depending on attackers position she gives a stun strike with her forearm, or head butt or a simple shove and then makes her escape or repositions herself to continue assaulting attacker.
Whole drill is less than 5 seconds when done at full speed. Run it slow first. Attacker should wear a groin guard and defender should not strike at full power.
Defender should wear a gi so attacker can really grab at full force. The most important thing again is the principle. The defender is growing accustomed to being grabbed and shoved violently, going with that force and responding immediately and viciously. Try it.
And work through all the "what ifs". What if attacker immediately tries to use the bottle as a weapon? Can you cover it, work your counterattack and still escape or does something else present itself? Try it and find out!
What if he jerks his hips back to avoid the knee to his groin? Well, you have still caused a reaction which can be capitalised on, so what is the next best step? Would it be to pull his head down and into the wall?
...Whatever- if you are doing this as a teacher with your students avoid the temptation to always provide solutions. Let them find them...
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