Tuesday’s Class, 7-29-08

 

Warm-Up 

We warmed up with some joint strength/mobility exercises last night.  I picked out a few of a more expanded set that I do several days a week on my own.  The exercises are the basics set forth in Scott Sonnon’s DVD, Warrior Wellness.  Really great stuff!

 

Shadow boxing was a little bit different.  We performed 3 2-minute rounds.  Two of the rounds were standing up, but the other was on the ground.  I was really laughing at myself on the ground.  I felt like a turtle on its shell, but I practiced break falls, technical stand-ups, kicking and punching from the ground.  Again with the shadow boxing—do what you know!  I broke out the stick and knife during one of my rounds.

 

Punching and Blocking

 

We can punch all day long on the focus mitts and it feels great.  We feel powerful.  But, can we take a hit and keep on going?  For many, getting hit can be disorienting and downright mind-boggling.  This does not just apply to women, either.  We have to include this in our training to harden our minds.  Mental toughness drives us through our physical barriers.  That does not imply we try to knock each other’s blocks off, but you know what I mean.

 

The technician threw a jab and immediately covered the side of the head to protect against a hook (or maybe a slap or haymaker) or the top of the head to protect against a number of incoming punches.  That elbow protruding forward can easily destroy some knuckles!  Again, feeders must take caution in hitting the technician with the focus mitt.  Newbies should be broken in slowly, and it is still very effective.

 

Technicians had to follow up immediately with a combination.  We practiced the cross-hook-cross, followed by a kick (round and front to the leg and groin).  Feeders cued the technician for kicks with the focus mitts.

 

BOB Took a Beating

 

We practiced striking from the Jack Benny stance.  We exploded with a palm heel strike to the face (fingers in eyes are gravy!) and followed with a hammer fist to the collarbone or the side of the neck.  Practicing the placement was great and we certainly unleashed some aggression on BOB.  Beginning students practiced the stomp and hit (to ground themselves) while others focused on dropping their weight and “screwing down” into the floor with the rear foot.  We added in a chop, with the side of the hand, right to the throat.  Stepping into the dummy is important and good body mechanics apply when using the hammer fist or the chop.

 

Metal Toughness

 

I want to mention again the aspect of mental toughness.  Our system is a blend of various fighting systems with an added fitness component.  We break ourselves down physically and perform techniques.  We believe in being fit to fight and being able to keep going until we end the fight.  This means controlling fatigue.  You can learn more about Controlled Fatigue Training from a truly dynamic individual, Ori Hofmekler:

 

http://www.warriordiet.com/programs/cft

 

Monday’s Class, 7-28-08

 

Propelled Onto the Hero Journey

 

We stumbled across this website recently and discovered a woman whose life was permanently altered by violence.  Erin Weed promotes women’s self-protection and self-defense through speaking and writing.  She has quite an impressive resume.  You can read her story and learn about her organization, Girls Fight Back:

 

http://www.erinweed.com/

http://www.girlsfightback.org/gfb/

 

 

Warm-Up

 

We warmed up with jump ropes (30 second intervals, 10 second rest) and launched right into footwork.  From boxing stance, we shuffled in a box pattern, adding in 90 and 180 degree pivots to change directions.  I was stubborn for a long time and did not want to jump rope or even work on my footwork, but I now see the folly of my ways.  How much more improved I would have been early on if I had heeded the sage advice of my Thai boxing instructor!!

 

Ah. . .shadow boxing.  Everyone’s favorite. . .NOT!  I now see it as relaxation in motion, once you get past the whole comfort zone issue.  Really, no one is watching you except to borrow your moves.  I know, because that is what I used to do.  Even seasoned veterans look a little goofy at times.  Learn to utilize it and imagine an opponent.  Don’t go hard and fast.  Just flow and pull out of your trick bag the things you know.  We practiced our boxing.  Then, we went to our Kali sticks.  We can add in the combatives, or any of our tools in the arsenal.

 

 

Defenses Against the Jab

 

With one partner in focus mitts and one partner in gloves, we looked at the catch defense with the rear hand.  I have a tendency to roll my left shoulder forward, but as it was pointed out, I just may not have time!  What’s better and faster is to catch and even take a little half step back if necessary.  The jab is coming in quickly, and we have to respond quickly.  I can see where the drills for hand speed, especially the tennis ball catch, would carry over.  I don’t know why I always feel more awkward doing this drill with a glove ON.  Maybe it is because I have always trained it with the glove off and built up sensitivity to catch it in my palm.  In addition to the catch, we worked the split entry.  The timing of the block and simultaneous hit takes a lot of practice.  We must remember to angle out a little from the punch.  Keeping my head off-target is nice insurance because my hand may not always react quickly enough.  We train a lot with the focus mitts, and it’s hard not to go chasing them with our punches, but we must remember that we are aiming at part of the opponent’s anatomy!  These drills are just as challenging for the technician as they are the feeder: there is much to learn on both sides of the mitts.

 

Our follow-ups to both defenses included:

 

1. Cross-hook-cross
2. Overhand-uppercut-overhand
3. Cross-body hook-head hook-cross

 

Stick Defenses

 

We looked at the inside deflection off the angle one (think of the first angle of the X pattern).  We are breaking into the loop here, and the feeder must open up a little and swing wider for the technician to find the opening.  We must utilize our footwork and angle in after the deflection to check the hand.  From here, we can of course go to a disarm.  Our follow-up was the backhand witik (broken attack, or hit and retract).  We could follow up with anything, even a simple X pattern.  Five basics we teach include the witik, the downward cut to the hand, the upward cut to the hand, a strike to the leg and a strike to the hips or mid-section.

 

The next technique was the outside deflection off the angle two (angle two of the X pattern) with a forehand witik as the follow-up.  We must remember that we are hitting the stick with the witik in training, but we are really hitting the hand!  Again, we could follow up with anything here or even work on disarms.  We’ll be working on our disarms in the future for strokes 1 through 12 (from the Inosanto Blend 25).

 

 

Kicks

 

We practiced the kick to inside (around the Femoral Nerve) of the leg and talked about “softening” the opponent before utilizing the round kick to the outside of the leg on the common Peroneal Nerve.  The angle kick to the outside could be more of a snap kick, or more of a Thai kick.  Pivoting on the base leg will be important for both.

 

 

Self-Defense

 

We reviewed all of our chokes, including front, rear, and side, and front and rear chokes with a push.  In practice, some students failed to use the outside arm on the side choke for the pluck and used the “wrong” hand.  That’s okay—we made it work!  We attempted a pluck from the inside, pushed the outside arm in towards the opponent’s body and followed up.  The important point here is sometimes our attempts do FAIL.  We cannot allow ourselves to freeze, even in our training.  We have to keep going until we find something that does work.  In reality, it might be ugly, but who cares?  We are only concerned about winning.

 

We looked at the defense against the head lock from the side.  It’s important to protect the face against incoming punches by moving the chin down and in, but then move forward and draw the opponent’s focus with a stunning blow to the groin.  Remember that the head is at the end of the arm and shoulder—reach for it and push the chin up sharply (you could also yank hair).  If you poke some fingers in the eyes, all the better!  A follow-up could be a hammer fist to the nose.

 

Word to the wise: train techniques on left and right sides, if applicable. 

Saturday’s Self-Defense Workshop, 7-26-08

 

 

We would like to thank our Gutterfighters for supporting us today during the self-defense workshop.  A lot of great points were covered regarding mindset, awareness and the distinction between self-protection (broad scope) and self-defense (fighting skills) .  We also enjoyed a little hands-on practice with gun disarms, and defenses against chokes, wrist grabs, and knives.  We even discussed gun ownership and improvised weapons.  The thing everyone must remember is that when we step outside of our havens each day, we must take responsibility for the well-being of ourselves and our loved ones.  We must accept the inherent risk of living our lives out in the world.  Any of us could easily be the one picked out of the crowd.  If so, we want to go beyond just surviving.  We want to win the confrontation!

Thursday’s Class, 7-24-08

 

The Threat

 

A guy that runs a local print shop was telling me about a friend of his who was recently robbed at gunpoint.  His friend was ordered to produce his wallet, and once he did, he threw it and ran.  An interesting question about this event might be, was this a rehearsed reaction?  Did the friend ever decide beforehand about what he might do in a similar situation, or was it simply a fortunate, split-second decision?  We’ll never know.  Obviously, he lived to tell the story, which is the most important thing, in my eyes.  The friend was struck by the fact that everything happened so quickly.

 

We discussed a little equation in class on Thursday: Threat = capability + intention.  We must assume that everyone has capability and potential to cause us harm.  The weakest of our lot can carry a gun or a knife, and we see in our story here that a gun was the perfect equalizer even if our friend had fighting skills.  The thief may not have the intention of actually using the gun for more than intimidation, but who really wants to hang around to find out?  It comes down to your attention versus the criminal’s intention.  Everything happened so fast, and his awareness did not pick up on the threat until it was upon him.  Something told him to get the Hell out of Dodge, and he most certainly chose flight as opposed to fighting or worse yet, freezing.  With more detail, we could probably pick this situation apart and make a lot of determinations, perhaps even that the situation could have been avoided with 360 degree awareness of his surroundings.  But heck, we are all human beings and we are fallible.  We just hope that our one moment of inattention will not cost us too dearly.  Make the decision now, to open your awareness, to train physically and mentally for threatening situations, and to trust your intuition (check out the book The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker).  Preparation is not paranoia.  Imagine the end result: winning.

 

Warm-Up

 

We worked on some fun drills, the first couple of which were for the development of hand speed.  Students palmed two tennis balls and held their arms straight out as their partners, with hands held by their sides, attempted to catch one or both whenever they dropped.  Not only does this loosen everyone up and make them laugh (balls were flying everywhere), it’s a great reaction drill.  I was relying on my peripheral vision as I stared at my partner’s center.  I consistently caught one or both.

 

The second drill was a card snatch.  One partner held a playing card with an outstretched arm while the other one tried to grab it.  Action and reaction—also a lot of fun.

 

Drill number three just barely squeaks by as a warm-up if the practitioner is relaxed and punching lightly.  We donned the focus mitts and gloves and threw hundreds of punches in a series adapted from an Ajarn Chai Sirisute combination drill.  The timing is weird at times and the brain wants to tie itself in a knot by the end.  The technician begins with the execution of the jab, 10 times, and then adds more punches.  This is how it breaks down:

 

Jab X 10 (repetitions)

Jab-cross X 10

Jab-cross-hook X 10

Jab-cross-hook-jab X 10

Jab-cross-hook-jab-cross X 10

Jab-cross-hook-jab-cross-left uppercut X 10

Jab-cross-hook-jab-cross-left uppercut-right cross X 10

Jab-cross-hook-jab-cross-left uppercut-right cross-left hook X 10

Jab-cross-hook-jab-cross-left uppercut-right cross-left hook-right cross X 10

 

I’m too lazy to perform the math, but that’s a lot of darn punches.

 

Attack Pattern

 

After getting good and warm, we practiced Charles Nelson’s Attack Pattern 1.  We assumed the Jack Benny stance with the left hand at the top position.  From our stance, we went right into the left hook (could be a slap, too), followed by a left low kick to the shin, a double left knife hand to the neck or trachea, and a right swivel punch to the xyphoid process of the sternum.  Following this combination, we came right back to the same beginning stance, only following up with strikes utilizing the right side.  Key point: using the hips on the second knife hand (the first was kind of like a jab) and on the swivel punch.

 

The Circuit

 

We borrowed from a dumbbell complex used by the Grappler’s Gym and burned ourselves out before trying to perform the Attack Pattern again.  The complex was completed as follows, with 10 pound weights:

 

5 Upright Rows

5 High Pull Snatches

5 Squats and Presses (could be a push press)

5 Bent Over Rows

5 High Pull Snatches

 

We performed 2 and 3 minute rounds of the complex along with 5 reps of the Attack Pattern on the BOBs.  Then, we added 5 repetitions of rear chokes on Thai pads to the circuit.  The complex wore us all down and the fighting combination got harder and harder to perform.  I cannot speak for anyone else, but I was fried!

 

 

Monday’s Class, 7-21-08

Thoughts on Appropriate Aggression

 

Several people have told me lately that they either have no aggression within themselves, or that they were not sure if it was in them.  I would disagree.  The potential is within all of us.  How each individual uses the potential makes all the difference in the world, and most of us have safety mechanisms in place to prevent us from using it at inappropriate times.  Violence is an everyday reality, and though your awareness may be keen at keeping you out of dangerous situations 99 percent of the time, you never know when that lone wolf anomaly may cross your path, mistaking and misreading you as the everyday sheep.  In an instant, despite your best efforts, violence is brought upon you.  How will you react?  With proper mindset and training, you will unleash your aggression and fight for your life, which you deserve to keep.  This is not a hateful act, and I’ve heard many people say, “I’m a lover, not a fighter.”  Fight out of love for yourself and your friends and family.  When you are under attack, aggression is appropriate and required.  As instructors, we have to find ways to bring it out of students within the confines of a safe environment; if there is a day of reckoning, without one bit of doubt or much conscious thought, the aggression is there for them to use towards the appropriate end.

 

We used the BOBs on Monday to practice shoving an aggressor.  We assumed the Jack Benny stance, went to the protective fence and exploded into the two-handed shove.  I’m realizing it is tricky getting people, especially women, to “explode”, even verbally.  Immediately as I shout, “BACK!!!” with the shove, I can feel the power within myself.  I feel the energy surging through my hands and into the dummy.  Sure, it is not polite in pleasant company to shout and shove, but consider that how you consistently train is how you will react without thinking when you are under pressure.  You wear a neural groove in your mind through repetition.  Do you ever go for a drive to a familiar destination and arrive with no real recollection of the trip?  Your subconscious takes over—you’ve done this so many times before that you go on autopilot.  Unconscious competence.  We want your mind to be here with your training, too!  Consider also that when humans are under extreme duress, they often lose fine motor control and the ability to do simple tasks, like dialing 911 on a phone.  Nevertheless, whatever is rehearsed (and it makes no difference if it’s in the classroom or just within the confines of your own mind) is more likely to be there for you without too much input from the conscious mind.  This is a good thing, because your conscious mind may be busy flipping out.

 

Your Stance

 

Speaking of the Jack Benny stance, some women realized that they NEVER stand like that.  Well, how do you stand, and what does that say about you?  Do you have your hands clasped behind your back?  If so, they may as well be tied!  Try to observe yourself and see how you are holding your hands.  Make no mistake, your hands, just like an officer’s gun, are weapons.  You want access to them whenever you need them.  Work on making them available.  It’s a small detail (ha ha—the devil’s in the details!), but it can be very important if you need to act quickly.

 

Two Weapons and Body Mechanics

 

We had everyone grab a stick and knife and try to flow while utilizing both weapons on BOB.  Without much prior weapons experience, this is an incredibly awkward exercise for many.  Nevertheless, once the initial self-consciousness wears off, the students figure out some things on their own.  All the strikes involve moving our hips, the powerhouse, and shifting our weight properly on our feet.  This is no different if we are boxing, swinging sticks, etc.  Sure, some stances are different, and Kali doesn’t really have stances—the focus is on footwork.  The bottom line is that we are learning to move, and the weapons are an extension of ourselves.  One student questioned the advantage or efficacy of having two weapons.  In Muay Thai, I have eight weapons: my hands, elbows, knees and legs/kicks.  Sure, the application of each weapon is a little different; I don’t swing a stick the way I jab or cross.  But, I still have to rely on good old body mechanics to get the job done. 

 

Jumping Rope

 

Anyone having difficulty with jump rope?  I assure you, if you stick with it, it will come to you.  Jump rope, though many of us did it with relative ease as children, is a SKILL.  We practice the skill at the beginning for warm-up because you are fresh.  That is the best time to learn a skill—not when you are exhausted and tapped out from a hard training session.  Just be patient with yourself and keep plugging away.  Try to keep your feet together, your body upright, and work your way down to small bounces.  It also helps to have a properly sized jump rope.  If you step your foot onto the middle of the cord and draw up both ends evenly, the handles should reach about shoulder height.  We have a variety of ropes, but this is something to consider in getting your own rope.