Forearm Covers - Generally use your right forearm to cover against your opponents left arm punch and your left forearm to cover against opponents right arm punch (This is not an absolute).
Counter Punches Opposite Side Counter (orthodox matched stance)
Opp jabs - You right forearm block and counter with a left hand punch.
Opp. cross - You left forearm block and counter with a right hand punch.
Movement and Distance
Drills Defense Only - Opponent throws jabs and crosses mixing up the order and number of punches. You are only defending with forearm blocks. Opponent should take care to stay at long range.
Counter Punch - Opponent throws jabs and crosses.
1) Counter with the opposite side punch only.
2) Counter with the opposite side punch and follow up strikes.
III. Ground
-You Standing, Opp. on the Ground
-You on the Ground, Opp. Standing
-Both on Ground-You on Top, Opp on Bottom
-Both on Ground-You on Bottom, Opp. on Top
1. Basic Footwork Step first with the foot which is closest to the direction you are heading, then the other foot follows returning you to your stance. Typically taking small steps, at about half a foot per step. -Forward - Front foot steps, then the back foot follows. -Backward - Back foot steps, then the front foot follows. -Left - Left foot steps, then right foot (moving directly sideways). -Left Curving - Left foot steps then slightly pivots as you step with the right (so that you are again facing your opponent). -Right - Right foot steps, then the left (moving directly sideways). -Right Curving - Right foot steps then slightly pivots as you step with the left (so that you are again facing your opponent).
There are essentially two versions of the shuffle step. The Step and Slide and the Push Step.
a) Step and Slide The Step and Slide is the slower, more plodding version where you are essentially picking up the first foot, moving it in the direction you want to go as you shift your weight into that foot to move your body. *Step and slide technique example
b) Push Step With the Push Step (Push Shuffle) instead of just transferring weight to move you in the direction you want to go, you are also going to quicken the motion by pushing with the opposite foot. So if you are moving forward you push off the floor with the back foot. If moving backwards, you would push off the floor with the front foot. 2. Slide Step Used to quickly cover more distance than what can be done with the shuffle step. -Forward - Back foot moves first, then the front. Can be a small step (back foot takes a small step forward) or a larger step (back foot slides up just behind or to the side of the front foot). -Backward - Front foot moves first, then the back. As with the forward side step, this can be a small or large step. *Slide step technique example
-feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart. -feet are turned in at around a 35 to 45 degree angle. -the toe of the front foot should be somewhat in-line with the heel of the back foot (though I tend to be slightly wider) -Heels slightly up, placing weight on the balls of the feet. Back heel is usually slightly higher then front. -Weight is distributed about 50/50 between the feet. -Both knees are slightly bent. -Hands up at about cheek level with elbows pointed down. -Chin is down, teeth slightly clenched. -Generally power side to the rear
Orthodox Stance - refers to a left foot forward stance Southpaw Stance - refers to a right foot forward stance
Telegraphing is the act of unintentionally alerting your opponent prior to your next offensive move. It's the little unintended preparatory movements which act as signals or tells, lowering the attacks chances of being successful. Common examples would include drawing the hand back before throwing a punch, dropping your shoulder, taking an unnecessary step before kicking or even shifting the gaze of the eyes to the area of the opponents body to be attacked.
If telegraphing is the problem, then the obvious solution is to make your movements non-telegraphic.
Self-awareness and analysis is the best way to achieve this. Stand in front of a mirror and execute your techniques looking for any telegraphed cues to eliminate. Record yourself hitting the bag, then review looking for flaws. Also while working with a training partner, have them point out any tells they see while working the pads or sparring.
Aliveness
As far as I know, aliveness is a term first used by Bruce Lee and later greatly expanded upon and promoted by Matt Thornton back in the late 1990's and early 2000's. Thornton defines aliveness as training with resistance using energy, timing and motion.1 "Movement means real footwork, not contrived, not in a pattern... on the ground it means exactly that also... movement... if the person is just laying there, not moving as you apply your lock or move....that is not Alive. In the clinch its the same... pushing, pulling, moving. Timing is of course just that... if its in a predictable rhythm, a pattern, a repeatable series of sets, then you are not acquiring or developing timing, just motion speed.
And of course energy... swing the stick like someone would really swing it... don't stop at centerline. Punch with the energy of someone who wants to hit you. Not locking your arm out so your partner can look good doing the destruction, or trap, or silat sweep, etc."2
Aliveness is essentially the training principle which focuses on including the non-compliance/resistance element of real fighting while still trying to preserve an acceptable level of safety.
Why Aliveness is Important Feedback
There are a number of reasons aliveness is important. First, this type of training provides a method of testing the efficacy of your techniques by providing feedback. Someone who only practices their techniques in the air or by hitting a bag will not know if what they are doing will truly work because they have nothing to judge its effectiveness against. The same holds true when training with a partner that only reacts in a cooperative manner. Resisting opponents provide us with opportunities to run little experiments. If our technique works, then we give it more credence. If it doesn't, then we analyse it to figure out what went wrong. Without these little experiments we are only left with our imagination and beliefs to judge our abilities.
Adjustments
Additionally, many of the aspects of what truly makes our individual techniques work can only be learned through resistance training. For instance, to really get a feel of what the correct distance should be between you and your opponent (referred to as the fighting measure in Jeet Kune Do) requires lots of sparring with lots of different body types. When students are first introduced to sparring they are typically too close (often because they are used to hitting focus mitts) or too far away (because they don't want to get hit). Because of the feedback received through training which is alive (stand too close means getting hit, too far away means you can't hit your opponent), the student is able to make adjustments which eventually lead to better fighting performance.
Toughness
Another reason aliveness is important is that it trains us to become more comfortable with roughness and aggression. Many students, when they first start sparring, experience a degree of panic and disorientation because up to that point they've had little exposure to being physically struck or manhandled. In addition, most people who have lived a life largely free from violence may themselves have an aversion to striking someone else. Over time, as the trainee puts in the hours sparring, they better learn to cope with being hit and physically roughed up and become less squeamish about striking their opponent.
Progressive Resistance & The Three Stages of Learning
Does this mean we should only spar and give up all other training methods? Of course not. In actuality, there needs to be a learning process which begins with no resistance. Resistance is then incrementally increased as development progresses. This process fits nicely with Fitts and Posner's Three Stages of Learning model which I'll use to help explain the value of progressive resistance.
When first learning a technique, students need to be able to work through the mechanics of the move unencumbered. This phase of the learning process is referred to as the Cognitive stage due to the great amount of cognitive activity required to discover and develop the component parts of the technique. The student will typically make many gross errors and perform techniques in an inconsistent manner as they try to learn the fundamental movement patterns. Resistance at this point will only slow development and frustrate the trainee.
Once a basic level of proficiency is achieved, the student moves into the Associative stage and resistance is added. The student displays fewer errors and has to devote less attention in the performance of techniques. While the cognitive stage is fairly short, the associative stage can be quite long and some students may never move beyond it. They are now focused on refining techniques and possess the ability to detect some of their own errors when analyzing the feedback provided from training which incorporates resistance. Adding resistance to training can be done through drills and sparring which are designed to isolate the technique or techniques being developed. Resistance should be kept to a minimum at first, then added as the student becomes more proficient. Martial arts instructor Burton Richardson uses a weightlifting analogy to explain the principle.
Imagine that you decide to sign up at a gym. (Martial arts sounded too dangerous!) You have a personal trainer to teach you how to lift correctly and get you going in the right direction. You tell the trainer that you want to work on your leg strength. She says okay, and teaches you how to do a squat. She puts a broomstick across your shoulders, feet shoulder width apart, has you keep your back straight while bending at the knees. She points out that you should sit back, almost like sitting in a chair, to avoid having your knees move out in front of your toes. Better for your knees and better for balance. After a few minutes you can duplicate the squat correctly. Now what did you actually just learn? You learned a technique. That would be like going to our JKD Unlimited/MMA for the street class and learning how to throw a solid punch. It has taken you about three minutes to learn the proper form for the technique called the squat. Now what happens? Do you just practice that technique with the broomstick for the next three years? No. Your trainer takes you to the squat rack. Why? Because you have to add resistance if you want to get stronger. Doing the technique with resistance is going to trigger the Adaptive Response. If you don’t add resistance you are not going to get stronger. If you don’t add resistance in your fight training you won’t develop fighting skill. Let’s now say that your wonderful trainer takes you to the squat rack and proceeds to load the bar with 300 pounds! What is going to happen if you try to squat that much your first day? You are going to break something. Why? TOO MUCH RESISTANCE! You have to start with just enough resistance to make the effort slightly difficult. This causes your body to adapt. You go in the following week and you can add a little more resistance. Over time, depending on your goals, you may be able to squat with 300 pounds. The exact same theory of Progressive Resistance holds true for our fight training. Too much resistance is counterproductive. You will actually be worse off by adding too much resistance than not training at all. Instead, the trick is to add enough resistance so that it is slightly difficult to apply your technique. As you improve, you add more resistance. The amount you end up training with depends upon your goals.4
After a great deal of practice and experience, the trainee moves into the final stage of learning referred to as the Autonomous Stage. At this point, the trainee can perform most of their techniques without thinking about them consistently and with very few errors. Resistance remains an important component of training as it provides the feedback necessary for the trainee to fine tune movements and work on higher level tactics and strategies. At this level it is important to have a wide variety of skilled training partners.
The focus of this unit is on getting back to your feet against an opponent that is standing over you.
Track your opponent - When on your back keep your legs between you and opponent. When he tries to go around your legs, turn so that your legs stay between you.
Bicycle kicks - When he gets too close, use bicycle kicks against his knees. Knees are the closest target.
Up kick - Up kick when opponents head is in range
Technical Stand Up - When you feel there is enough distance between you, do the technical stand up to get back to your feet.
Feet on Hips - To keep opponent from being able to punch you.
Foot to Hip Block - If he pushes your feet to the side to clear a path, immediately swing the foot of your outside leg back to his hip to block. Then correct your position bringing both feet back to his hips.
Push Back to Technical Stand Up - With your feet on opp hips, push him back forcefully. If the opportunity is there, do the technical stand up to get back to your feet.
Helicopter Legs to Free Ankles - When opp. grabs your ankles, use helicopter leg movement to free ankles.
Tripod Sweep - When your feet are on opponents hips and he is pushing into you with one foot forward and his other foot back.
