So, the weather is getting a bit chilly which will give us a chance to understand how different clothing can affect the dynamics of an altercation. Clothing can both hinder our attempts at controlling and/or nuetralizing an attacker,, or it can be used to our benefit. Striking a person that is wearing a thick jacket will reduce the impact that is delievered to the ribs,, everyone knows this. But clothing can affect battles in other ways. Grabbing during a fight is often done to control a body part, but trying to hold on to an arm covered in a sweatshirt can become difficult and allow the arm to slip out. So what we find often occurs is the attacker will end up grabbing the sleave as the arm slips out of his hand. And once he has the sleeve we find it is difficult to break the grip…. but that can be a good thing. We have practiced different attacks on the arms and wrists,, and these come in handy during this type of situation. If the attacker has a strong grip on the sleeve we can easily wrap his hand in the fabric as we rotate outward, and once we drop the elbow down we will exert an enormous amount of torque on the wrist. When done quickly it is easy to snap one or both of the bones in the wrist,,, which typically forces the attacker to release his grip. On the other hand if we apply the force in the other direction we will end up in a variaton of the Osai dori which is another type of attack on the wrist. This also produces a substantial amount of force to the wrist which will be useful in disrupting the attack. these tecniques take practice, but in both situations we should remember that the bicep is always presented as a target once the attacker donates his arm during an attack. This will become a favorite tactic since it will always present itself and is always devastating to the arm. As we will remember, we destroy that which is attacking s and then move in to center line attacks. But let us not forget the one part of the body that is always forgoten in a fight,,, the legs. we have practiced drills and tecniques over and again showing the importance of controlling the posotion of the legs and feet,, as well as the necessity of attacking the legs to disrupt balance and of course to produce damage to the lower leg. The step break ( a technique that applies force to the inside of the knee) will become a necessity in any life threatening altercation. And when someone has control of an arm, the legs should be attacked at the same time as the arms and center line.
And of course there is the neck. Last week we focused much of the time on knives and choke moves. The thicker clothing in colder weather will allow the attacks to the neck to be easier and more effective, especially if the attacker decides to bring his head and neck towards our body. Using the shirt collar will make the choke much easier.
During the next few weeks we will be going into the drills and training in the art of fighting. We have been practicing techniques for disrupting certain body parts, but it is very important to train the body to move in certain ways,,, and the drills will teach the body to move and respond properly. The art is often overlooked when the focus is mainly on the distruction of an attacker. But it is the art that will allow the techniques to become natural and effective. Precision is important,, as is the confidence, in our body, to perform what is required. So, drills and the art of fighting will be the focus for the next few weeks.
Looking forward to training with you fine men.
And as always thank you for allowing YHC to share what has been taught to me by men far greater than I.
stay safe, Tick Tock