How do you know what technique to use when?

[apeters28]

When you're in a street fight, how do u know which technique will work? There are so many techniques, but how do u know which one will work?

[Martial Joe]

This i skinda a dumb quesiton,im not say your dumb so dont get mad but it all depends...

[Martial Joe]

And also,there is no time to think of wich one to use,it will happen automaticly.

[nospam]

It's not so much a question of what technique, rather, what response. We can crawl, walk, run and jump; when do you 'choose' to perform either of these? You will crawl when you're on your hands and knees looking for where your kid last put the remote control. You will walk leisurely at the beach. Run when the bus arrives too early as you jump across a puddle in the middle of the road.

Martial artists train to respond to varied outside stimuli. The techniques are learned and trained to acquire skill. Skill provides us with an enhanced capacity to successfully respond to whatever comes our way. Just as with the above examples, you do not 'choose' to walk, run or jump, you simply responded to a situation. Did you have to choose to run for the bus? Yes, you could have walked, but you would soon learn that that choice or reaction would give you the least results. Its a learned response.

The techniques provide the martial artist with a greater range of responses. It is not a question of 'to do or not to do'...it is just do :) The challenge is that we will always be limited by our present skill level.

Well, I gotta run...adios!

[SevenStar]

you really can't answer that, my friend. I could say "when someone throws this, do this" but chances are that 1.)In a self defense situation you won't remember and 2.) there is not enough room in your head to hold all the different possibilities. your goal should be to develop your skill to the point that you can spontaneously react to situations. Then you will always know what technique to use when.

"Civilize the mind, make savage the body."

[Vankuen]

You asked "...There are so many techniques, but how do u know which one will work?"

The techinques that work in a fight, are the techniques that you've refined during your training time. In other words, if you only practiced one particular movement only a few times in training, odds are that technique will not work for you in the fight because

one: your body as not assimilated the technique as spontaneous reaction, and

two: you will not have had enough practice with it to be able to apply it properly both physically and mentally (when/where to hit with it)

The techniques that will come out in a fight, will be the ones that you actually trained with in usage over and over and over again. Those will most likely be the ones you are successful with because your skill in them will be greater than those that you have not trained with as hard.

Now generally speaking, the techniques that work are the ones that are performed in the right place at the right time. Timing is crucial in a fight, if you dont have that, you will most likely never even land a good technique. (against a skilled opponent that is...)

Allright.....hope that was another angle of looking at the question that may give more insight to the subjuct.

[Daedalus]

You Don't!

When my opponent expands, I contract. When he contracts, I expand. And when I strike, it is not me hitting,..they (looking at his fists)hit all by themselves.
Bruce Lee

That is the main reason to train realistically. You will respond to any attack in the way you have trained yourself to respond.

Train your weapons in the way they should function and in a pinch, when you need them, they will be there. Just like breathing. They will perform the way that you have trained them to perform, without thought or hesitation.

:D

[Budokan]

You won't *know* what technique you're going to use because you can't commit yourself to that much downtime processing your options while the other guy is revving up his focus and adrenaline. You have to rely on instinct, and that only comes from practice of your moves. Lots and lots of practice. Then you won't have to wonder whether you should side-slip here or block/punch there--it'll happen automatically because you'll be in the Zone.

It's hard to reach because you have to overcome a million years of hardwiring in your brain that's telling you something completely different...but when you get in that Zone you'll fight as if you're a different person. And oftentimes win.

This has only happened to me but infrequently, usually while in the midst of a tough workout. But it's real and it's there...except you have to practice to reach it too. Well, nothing is supposed to be easy in Marts, is it?

K. Mark Hoover

[inyo]

There is know set answer to this question,every situation is different.Any response should be spontaneous and without thought if it is to be effective.--A few years ago a drunk attacked me in the toilet of a pub ,he grabbed me by the shirt front and began to push me backward,I reacted by grabbing him by the forearms and pushing him back a couple of steps he resisted and I immediately realised that he was stronger than me.Without thinking I let go of his arms ,stepped to the left side and simultaneously struck him in the mouth with the inside edge of my right wrist(cocked)whilst covering my head with a rising upper block.His forward momentum carried him into my strike and he ended up in a heap on the floor with a bloody mouth.I wish to emphasise that this is not meant to be an example of my martial excellence--I REGARD THE EXPERIENCE AS A FLUKE!!--However--it is the only practical experience I have ever had in using my training on the street,and it is a relevant response to your question..I have always been taught not to strike the mouth as it is the dirtiest place in the body (bacteria wise)and if you cut your hand you can develop an infection easily.The evasion,simultaneous upper block --wrist strike etc were all impromptu moves.I have never been taught that particular combination.--The experience however was invaluable as far as learning goes.--To be fully in control you must let go and just react,the organism(self)has 1000's of millions of years of inbuilt defence capabilities,to utilise them you must be relaxed.If you attempt to pre-plan or rigidly control a situation you will inhibit this process and without a doubt you will lose.--I did not cut my wrist on his mouth,it feli as though i had just tapped him and yet the damage was extensive.I was unaware of my own power and have resolved to be more careful in the future,avoidance would be better. oossu!!

[ansgenius1]

Everyone here is right. The only time you know when to know what to use is when you are in the process of actually doing it. Decisions, in a fight, are made in a split second and if you spend time trying to think about what to do, you leave yourself open.