Three phases of movement

[dcence]

I can do it, and I'm not superman either.

Oh, come on. You are too and we all know it. Oh, no -- you are right. Clyde is Superman. I forgot.

Fatal Deviation comes to mind for some reason, wonder why.

Theoretically, but not practically a "Five Swords what-if" if the guy is really firing two fast shots. In Fatal you step back and block below the elbow with your right -- do you not? five Swords you don't and it is a critical difference. There is a difference in the distance between you and the attacker, thus greater reaction time, and there is an even more critical distance difference in how far across your body your right hand goes in Five Swords vis-a-vis Fatal Dev. I am not saying it can't be done, but that there is a better way than crossing your centerline with your right hand. Doing Fatal Deviation as a "what-if" works even better if your right hand does not cross centerline like the printing or cursive Five Swords would have you do. It has a shorter distance to travel from point A to point B = less time. And some guys need all the time they can get from what I have seen,with how slow and wide they move -- not pointing any fingers.

It reminds me of a seminar Mr. Parker did where he went into the difference between printing, cursive and shorthand. For printing he did the block-chop as written. For cursive he added a little loop between the right block and the right chop. For short-hand, the right hand went straight up to the throat. Three options from which choose. I just believe the 3rd version gives you a better built in defense in your offense than committing all the way across the body, and I like hitting the guy as soon as possible. The best defense is a good offense.

Derek

 

[dcence]

One other thought.

Coming right up the centerline provides for a greater margin of error. Do you really know the punch is a round house versus a straight punch with enough time to do the printing Five Swords? No. The shorthand version is good for roundhouse or straight. Less decision making leads to quicker reaction. Too many deal in choreography where the attack is known and the variables eliminated, and not enough time in the uncertainty of reality.

 

[Bill Lear]

Originally posted by dcence

Oh, come on. You are too and we all know it. Oh, no -- you are right. Clyde is Superman. I forgot.

Nope. Wrong again. Clyde is Captain Caveman! :lol:

Derek,

You keep shooting people down on the fact that they aren't going to be able to react in time because they don't really know what their opponent's next move is going to be. I thought we weren't just training moves but also trying to improve upon our ability to read and counter an impending attack.

Unless you're psychic you'll never know what your attacker's first move is going to be... Why take up Kenpo in the first place then??? I mean if we're never going to develop enough perceptual speed and skill to see something coming we might as well sign up at "The Oracles School of Spoon Bending" and dump Kenpo all together. :shrug:

 

[dcence]

Nope. Wrong again. Clyde is Captain Caveman!

Derek,

You keep shooting people down on the fact that they aren't going to be able to react in time because they don't really know what their opponent's next move is going to be. I thought we weren't just training moves but also trying to improve upon our ability to read and counter an impending attack.

Unless you're psychic you'll never know what your attacker's first move is going to be... Why take up Kenpo in the first place then??? I mean if we're never going to develop enough perceptual speed and skill to see something coming we might as well sign up at "The Oracles School of Spoon Bending" and dump Kenpo all together.

You having a slow Friday too?

You make a good point, but first I am not shooting people down, just trying to discuss. Kenpo is great; I love it. But too many people only take it to the choregraphed extent where all is known. Yeah, they talk a good story about what if's and formulation and grafting and all that, but then don't realize the time it takes to think of changing in the middle of the action. My point is that you should do the technique in such manner so as to cover as many variables in the attack as possible. Doing a move that is great for a roundhouse but not so great for a straight doesn't make sense to me.

Sure, there are times that you can specifically react to a lumbering puncher, and printing will work, no prob, but that is not what you should train for. Train for the experienced fighter, and the novice will be covered. That is why things need to be boiled down to the master keys which have answers to multiple scenarios built in.

Your good point is in the time spent learning to read a person's body language. This is critical I agree, but the more adept will give you mixed signals or no signals at all. At your level and for as long as you have been doing this, I am certain you can throw a roundhouse, straight, fake all the same without the guy being able to read it until it is too late to decide which one it is going to be. That is what you should be training against -- not the guy that comes around the barn to hit you.

The first move of Calming the Storm, Securing the Storm is master key. Blocking one arm with two is not. It is not wrong or bad, just not as good, in my opinion.

A good way to determine where you are is have a guy really throw the following without knowing which is coming;
(1) right punch -- straight or roundhouse
(2) left punch -- straight or roundhouose
(3) right/left -- real or fake first punch, straight or round
(4) left/right -- real or fake first punch,straight or round

This is a great drill for spontaneity and is a good indicator of your theoretical vs. real abilities. Lots of people can rip the tehcniques when they know what punch is coming, but stumble all over themselves when you introduce just these few reasonable variables. Perhaps you are really good at it, perhaps not. I don't know. What I do know is that both hands coming up the centerline will give you more options than both hands moving right to left.

But your point about reading body language is good as long as you are a speed reader.

 

[Kenpomachine]

Originally posted by dcence
A good way to determine where you are is have a guy really throw the following without knowing which is coming;
(1) right punch -- straight or roundhouse
(2) left punch -- straight or roundhouose
(3) right/left -- real or fake first punch, straight or round
(4) left/right -- real or fake first punch,straight or round

This is a great drill for spontaneity and is a good indicator of your theoretical vs. real abilities. Lots of people can rip the tehcniques when they know what punch is coming, but stumble all over themselves when you introduce just these few reasonable variables. Perhaps you are really good at it, perhaps not. I don't know. What I do know is that both hands coming up the centerline will give you more options than both hands moving right to left.

But your point about reading body language is good as long as you are a speed reader.

Taking a tennis analogy, reading body language and faking is only good against adversaries who have fast reactions, otherwise they won't be moving the way you want them to
Now, it all boils down to know your adversary and use the appropiate tactic with him.

Yesterday we were working it
1.- Straight punch: right or left
2.- Roundhouse kicks: right or left
3.- Two handed grabs: the ones the attacker wanted.
4.- Etc.
And I can assure you that, at least in my case, in those spontaneous drills I am able to block, but I usually follow with whatever feels right in the moment. And that is seldom a program tech...
And the fakes worked only with nervous people and fast reacting people.

And one last fact. With committed heavy attackers, you sometimes have to commit all you have to block the strike if you're not able to evade it. You can have the luxury to block with one arm if you weight a ton, but no so if you weight only 55 Kg. And yes, you're right in that you'd better not cross the centerline when blocking