Building A Spontaneous Reaction

[hongkongfooey]

One of the exercises I have been thinking of is this:

You get 9 guys
1 guy in the middle and 8 on the 8 lines of attack. You assign random numbers to the attackers they attack with a random attack and the guy in the middle defends against it. As soon as the attacker gets throttled he gets up and gets out and repeat the process. that away there is no body pile up but yet the attacks come quick enough so that the defender doesn't have time to think about what he is going to do.

I believe that this exercise will not only work innovative spontaneity but also foot maneuvers. With the sense of urgency you wouldn't let a guy sink into a good bear hug.

Just a thought what do you guys think?


V/R

Rick

Sounds fun

 

[Kalicombat]

One of the exercises I have been thinking of is this:

You get 9 guys
1 guy in the middle and 8 on the 8 lines of attack. You assign random numbers to the attackers they attack with a random attack and the guy in the middle defends against it. As soon as the attacker gets throttled he gets up and gets out and repeat the process. that away there is no body pile up but yet the attacks come quick enough so that the defender doesn't have time to think about what he is going to do.

I believe that this exercise will not only work innovative spontaneity but also foot maneuvers. With the sense of urgency you wouldn't let a guy sink into a good bear hug.

Just a thought what do you guys think?


V/R

Rick

Isn't this the 'Bull In The Ring' drill that has been being done for at least the last 30 years? We used to do this in our Isshinryu class when I was 10. It is a great drill, and it does build spontaneity.

Gary C.

 

[Rick Wade]

Isn't this the 'Bull In The Ring' drill that has been being done for at least the last 30 years? We used to do this in our Isshinryu class when I was 10. It is a great drill, and it does build spontaneity.

Gary C.

OK now it has a name.

Cool I have never seen it execpt in football practice. but that also goes to show there are no new techniques only version of old weather you have ssen them or not.

I haven't tried it yet But I will at our next class.

Do you guys still practice this?

 

[Ceicei]

I've also heard it called "Ring of Fire".

- Ceicei

 

[Rick Wade]

OK am I like the only guy in the Martial Arts realm that hasn't seen this or a form of this.

That's it I am starting over at white belt.

 

[Jonathan Randall]

What drills do you do to help with building that spontaneous reaction?

I know it sounds a little hokey, but when I'm in the line at Starbucks (or elsewhere), I visualize the people attacking me and imagine my response accordingly. Usually I focus on target areas such as the knees, solar plexus, etc. This helps because I'm not wasting time simply waiting for my turn and also because my targeting has improved markedly. Practicing a low-sidekick to the knees on a bag or BOB is great, but people are of varying heights and real world targeting helps a lot in being able to quickly respond at the appropriate height. Also, you start noticing things like this guy's heavy jacket makes a body shot less effective or this person over here, at the angle they are at, would be easily dropped by a shovel hook, etc.

 

[MJS]

I know it sounds a little hokey, but when I'm in the line at Starbucks (or elsewhere), I visualize the people attacking me and imagine my response accordingly. Usually I focus on target areas such as the knees, solar plexus, etc. This helps because I'm not wasting time simply waiting for my turn and also because my targeting has improved markedly. Practicing a low-sidekick to the knees on a bag or BOB is great, but people are of varying heights and real world targeting helps a lot in being able to quickly respond at the appropriate height. Also, you start noticing things like this guy's heavy jacket makes a body shot less effective or this person over here, at the angle they are at, would be easily dropped by a shovel hook, etc.

I don't think its hokey at all. I've actually found myself doing the same thing. Looking at your surroundings, being aware, etc. is a good thing in my opinion. I've found myself glancing at the people in the area, randomly picking someone, and thinking about how I would defend myself against this person.

 

[Blindside]

OK am I like the only guy in the Martial Arts realm that hasn't seen this or a form of this.

That's it I am starting over at white belt.

Apparently.

We usually start this drill with orange belts, and while we don't have a name for this drill, I have also heard it called a "dragon circle."

Lamont

 

[jdinca]

We call that drill "you get in the middle, everyone else make a circle around him".

Repetition, repetition, repetition in everything you do. Perfect practice makes perfect but what is "perfect" is determined by the students ability level. Detail gets finer as the student gets better. Sparring is a big help here as is reaction drills.

 

[Navarre]

We've done the "guy in the middle" drill for at least the 21 years I've been practicing. It is a good drill as well as adding some variety to training.

Good luck with your white belt training, Rick! :ultracool

 

[Navarre]

I know it sounds a little hokey, but when I'm in the line at Starbucks (or elsewhere), I visualize the people attacking me and imagine my response accordingly.

Be very careful when putting your visualized techniques into use. The people in line are desperate for caffeine. They'll jack you up!

I used to visualize my katas frequently throughout the day, even while taking notes in my college courses. It actually helped my execution in my karate class...and explains my low grades in college.

 

[arnisador]

I've also heard it called "Ring of Fire".

I never had the opportunity to study under Grandmaster Cash.

I've heard it called man in the middle or pickle in the middle. I've seen several variants of it. It's good for making you be aware of the 360 degrees of possible dangers.

 

[arnisador]

Be very careful when putting your visualized techniques into use. The people in line are desparate for caffeine. They'll jack you up!

I'm not a coffee drinker, but I do this all the time. Sometimes I'll be holding hands with my wife as walk in the mall and she'll notice that my arm is making small jerking movements, and she'll ask Who are you fighting now?

I especially try to do this as a I pass alleyways or other areas where an attack could come as a surprise or where I would be limited in my ability to retreat. I think it's good preparation!

 

[jdinca]

I never had the opportunity to study under Grandmaster Cash.

:roflmao:

 

[DavidCC]

I've also heard it called "Ring of Fire".

- Ceicei

When I was a yellow belt, we called it "Circle of Doom" because it was very intimidating. Now I don't have name for it other than "Get'em!"

 

[IWishToLearn]

I just got back to this thread & saw the responses to my quote about doing something 1,000 times incorrectly. I must be misinterpreting the responses, because it really sounds like we've got the same conceptual idea, just different approach to the same theory. Anywho. I like the Bull In the Ring drill, and the IKCA has a similar drill called the Circle of Humiliation/Semi-Circle. I also like to introduce extremely controlled sparring at an early level to introduce some of the spontanaeity, while eliminating their fear of being really cleaned out. Up until Orange/Purpleish the only people that underbelts spar with are the Black Belt Instructors who are not allowed to make contact, just to make people get used to seeing things coming at them and respond accordingly. Depending on the student, at Orange/Purple level they're usually more than able to use their basics at an acceptable level to work light sparring with each other, moving up the contact scale accordingly as they progress.

 

[Doc]

This is what I'm striving for. I believe it takes alot of repetition to get things into muscle memory.

That's what forms are good for. Forms teach fighting by getting moves into muscle memory. In fight it won't be like doing a form in the order, but by practicing forms you're teaching your body to string techniques together. Moves are ingrained to muscle memory and all of sudden you'll find yourself apply something during sparring, or whatever, without thinking about it and realize that move is from one of your forms.
I know alot of people don't like forms, but you have understand the importance of forms in teaching muscle memory and realize forms teach you how to fight. (It helps to have an instructor who teaches you the application in your forms.) The cool thing is I've seen more advanced students use techniques from our forms in sparring that has come out as muscle memory during the situation.

In addition to practicing forms you have to spar frequently. Again, it's practice.

I can't wait til the day comes when I'm sparring and muscle memory takes over, and better yet, when those reactions become part of my every day awareness.

That may happen but the methods you speak of are not likely to yield a practical spontaneous street repsonse. Forms definitely not. The body doesn't work that way or learn that way.

 

[guitarac311]

it has been said that doing something 2000 times makes it become a natural reaction, much like puttting your hands infront of you when you fall, i think with a combination of sparring and the combo strings, that should develop a good natural reaction

 

[Franc0]

We have a drill called "The D/A (Defender/Attacker) sack". One person stands in the middle of the room (Defender), with three others standing about six feet away at the 9, 12 & 3 o'clock positions (The Attackers). We then place a thick black sack (or pillow case) over the defenders head. The defender has a mouthpeice, elbow and knee pads & thin gloves on, usually Harbingers, while the attackers wear head cages & heavy boxing gloves. Right before I yank the sack off the defenders head, I'll point to a particular attacker who will attack full speed with whatever they like, usually a sucker type punch to the face. This really helps to build no-nonsense spontaneous reactions, and our crew really likes this drill.

FM

 

[Doc]

We have a drill called "The D/A (Defender/Attacker) sack". One person stands in the middle of the room (Defender), with three others standing about six feet away at the 9, 12 & 3 o'clock positions (The Attackers). We then place a thick black sack (or pillow case) over the defenders head. The defender has a mouthpeice, elbow and knee pads & thin gloves on, usually Harbingers, while the attackers wear head cages & heavy boxing gloves. Right before I yank the sack off the defenders head, I'll point to a particular attacker who will attack full speed with whatever they like, usually a sucker type punch to the face. This really helps to build no-nonsense spontaneous reactions, and our crew really likes this drill.

FM

The same drill is used by certain military special forces. It teaches spontineity but not proper technique.