KenpoTex
Senior Master
What are some solo drills/training methods that you do to increase the accuracy of your cuts and thrusts, and to increase your speed of deployment?
One drill that I've found to be very effective is to suspend a ping-pong ball from the ceiling by a piece of string and strike it. This gives you a small target and because of the light weight of the ball, it swings when you hit it requiring precision in your timing and accuracy for subsequent strikes. You can also move around to change your relation to the ball so that you are required to "attack" it from various angles as it swings.
The ball also gives you some "feedback" since, if you don't hit it squarely, it will bounce and spin in an unpredictable manner as opposed to swinging directly away from you. If you want, since ping-pong balls usually come 6 to a pack, you can hang several of them at various levels (eye, throat, groin, etc.) to simulate different target areas.
Using this drill, I have seen a dramatic increase in the accuracy of my strikes, not only with the knife, but with my empty-hand techniques as well since you can also do finger-jabs, backnuckles, edge-of-hand strikes, etc.
As to improving your deployment speed, simply start with your folder in your pocket or your fixed-blade in it's sheath the way you'd normally carry it (don't cheat, if it's normally carried concealed, work it that way). Begin by striking the ball with some sort of attack--for example, a lead-hand jab or palm strike--to get it swinging away from you, then try to deploy your blade so that you're ready to strike the ball as it swings back toward you. The obvious parallel here is hitting someone to buy time/create space to deploy your blade. This drill can also give you some valuable information as to the feasibility of your carry method.
So, what are some things that y'all do?
One drill that I've found to be very effective is to suspend a ping-pong ball from the ceiling by a piece of string and strike it. This gives you a small target and because of the light weight of the ball, it swings when you hit it requiring precision in your timing and accuracy for subsequent strikes. You can also move around to change your relation to the ball so that you are required to "attack" it from various angles as it swings.
The ball also gives you some "feedback" since, if you don't hit it squarely, it will bounce and spin in an unpredictable manner as opposed to swinging directly away from you. If you want, since ping-pong balls usually come 6 to a pack, you can hang several of them at various levels (eye, throat, groin, etc.) to simulate different target areas.
Using this drill, I have seen a dramatic increase in the accuracy of my strikes, not only with the knife, but with my empty-hand techniques as well since you can also do finger-jabs, backnuckles, edge-of-hand strikes, etc.
As to improving your deployment speed, simply start with your folder in your pocket or your fixed-blade in it's sheath the way you'd normally carry it (don't cheat, if it's normally carried concealed, work it that way). Begin by striking the ball with some sort of attack--for example, a lead-hand jab or palm strike--to get it swinging away from you, then try to deploy your blade so that you're ready to strike the ball as it swings back toward you. The obvious parallel here is hitting someone to buy time/create space to deploy your blade. This drill can also give you some valuable information as to the feasibility of your carry method.
So, what are some things that y'all do?