DISCUSSION

I cannot…YET

I understand the challenge you felt while learning some of these skills. “Relax” can feel completely counterintuitive. It is hard—but it’s not impossible. It simply takes repetition. Remember: “You cannot … yet.”

I’ve included an old video of a pike that seems to learn from repeated failed attempts. Please watch it all the way to the end:

My takeaway is this: don’t give up, no matter how difficult something feels in the moment. You have a teacher (me) as a resource to support you. You have support from classmates that probably went through similar experiences. If you persevere, what feels hard today will eventually become easy.

Constraints

Water naturally takes the shape of its container and always flows to the lowest point—both well-known facts. But we also know water changes state under different temperatures. As steam, it rises; as liquid, it flows and adapts; as ice, it becomes rigid and even expands compared to its volume at room temperature.

The skills we learn in martial arts or self-defense also operate within certain parameters. For example, if space is limited, running away may no longer be an option. If an attacker is so tall that you cannot reach his nose, aiming for a nose-strike is not realistic. If you’re holding a thin bamboo stick, it won’t deliver much impact as a weapon. And if your arm is limp, you won’t have much leverage. While you must first practice techniques as they are taught, you should also test and adapt them under different conditions.

Constraints or limitations can be:

• Self-related constraints
  You may have injured your ankle the day before. You might be lying down and unable to move backward or get up easily. You could be physically outsized by your opponent. Or you may have a child with you whom you must protect.
• Opponent-related constraints
  Your opponent may have unusually long limbs and you may have a hard time reaching him. If it’s winter and he’s wearing a thick jacket, your punches may not cause enough damage. Or he may be strong, fast, muscular, and able to absorb hits more easily.
• Environmental constraints
  You might be in an elevator with very limited space. You could be walking on an icy surface while wearing shoes with poor traction. Or you might be seated on a park bench, making movement more difficult.

Crowbar Principle — Leverage

When escaping someone’s grip, we often rely on the crowbar principle.

• Relax and clear your mind.
  Tensing up prevents you from thinking clearly and usually disrupts the mechanics that would otherwise work in your favor.
• Do not “lift the box.”
  Do not try to lift or overpower the opponent’s hold directly. Most likely, you are not the stronger one.
• Establish a fixed pivot point that does not move.
  You may move other parts of your arm or body, but the pivot must remain stationary. A common mistake is accidentally pushing the pivot point itself—once it moves, you lose leverage.
• Generate a power lever by extending the energy through your body – a “longer handle” amplifies the power you can generate without tensing up more.
• Project energy through your arm and fingers. Do not leave your fingers bent or hold the hand in a fist. This creates a longer “crowbar tongue” for better leverage.

SCENARIOS
Defense Against a Straight Punch

“Wax on / wax off” demonstrated how seemingly simple or repetitive movements can become useful in self-defense, and it highlighted the value of training. However, from a technical standpoint, it is not our preferred method.

The “wax on / wax off” approach comes from a paradigm where you defend first and strike later. The focus is on blocking the attack and then looking for an opportunity to counter. This type of block has several drawbacks:

• If you misread a fake punch, your hand will be drawn out to the side, leaving you exposed to follow-up strikes.
• Because you react after the punch has started, you are already a beat behind. You must rely on speed and experience to intercept the punch in time. The extra, non-productive travel your hand must make to reach the punch is wasted time. As a senior, you cannot assume you will be faster than your attacker.
• You cannot predict whether you can actually move the attacker’s arm once you make contact. You won’t know until you touch, and by then it may be too late to change your action.
• A block that is not directed toward the attacker can actually fuel his aggression. By attempting to block, you may provoke him to prove he is stronger.

Defense Against a Swinging Punch

The most dangerous reaction is to panic, stiffen your body, and remain at arm’s-reach distance. At that range, punches, kicks, and tackles are all possible, and things happen so quickly that you are likely to get hit.

Staying out of reach is obviously safer—but going all the way in is often counterintuitive. Yet, if you close the distance until you are only inches away, a swinging punch may still hurt but is far less likely to knock you out. Most people cannot generate full power at extremely close range.

Characteristics of Our Preferred Defense Approach

• The blocking hand does not travel sideways. Instead, it shoots directly over the attacker’s arm toward his face or eyes.
• If the punch turns out to be a fake and the attacker retracts, your hand ends up right at his face, removing his initial advantage.
• A hand near his face forces him to pull back or duck, obstructing his vision and reducing his ability to react to your next move.

Review of the grips

We reviewed the following grips, can you name to key-points for each? Remember to look back at the class notes in for the fall season session or even earlier. If you really can’t find the answer, do arrive early to class and ask:

• Low, crossover, thumbs-up grip
• Low, same-side, thumbs-up grip
• High crossover grip
• High same-side grip
• Two-arms-low grip

We also discussed the following scenarios:

• What if you are stuck in a seated position and the attacker puts his full body weight into the grip?
• What if your hands are on a table and you are confined in a picnic bench with limited elbow movement?

EXERCISES

Hot everyone mastered the “gallop” version of mobility. Movements sometimes are still a bit raw or awkward. You must practice until it becomes smooth and relatively effortless.

If you arrive early at class early next week, do partner up and take turns to respond to various direction changes as required.