Where do you look while fighting.

[rogue]

I know we've talked about this before but I read this thread on the WC forum (http://forum.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27581&perpage=15&pagenumber=1)and figure it was worth a revisit.

So, where do you look while fighting?

While in TKD I looked just over my opponents shoulder to take in his body with my periphreal vision. In karate I'm learning to fight at a much closer distance so trying to look at any one place just gets me hit from somewhere else.

[SevenStar]

I look at the base of the throat/upper chest area, but I don't focus on it. I glazed my eyes and let the peripheral vision do its job.

[Ralphie]

Center of the chest... for reasons already mentioned.

[rogue]

Also at what distance are you fighting? In TKD the range was from extended leg to extended arm, with exceptions for the occaisional elbow and knee. In karate it is arms length to grappling range.

[norther practitioner]

I close my eyes and swing wildly most of the time....

Top of the chest, a little lower maybe when I'm a couple of steps out.

[Ray Pina]

Never consciously thought about it.

Just like in football they tell ya to focus on the guys waist.... who the hell is thinking of that when you're trying to shed a pulling guard off of ya and take on a full back crashing through the line with his head down. Just hit the guy as hard as ya can and hope you get him down. Better yet, he goes down and the ball comes out.

I know what you're thinking: mid field is different... You pause to focus, they're gone.

In fighting the shoulder often reveleas the fist's course. But I always plan for the worst attacks: power up the middle. I shield for those, and if they're rounded out just got to raise the elbow a bit. Same with the legs. I feel you pick up the leg, I wedge up the middle... all of this, but I don't like to think about it, especially before a fight. It's too easy to get caught up philosophising. I'd rather just let the arrow go!

[Chang Style Novice]

yep, depends on the range I'm in. Clavicle area sounds like a reasonable default, tho.

[Gangsterfist]

Depends on the range. I practice both taiji and wing chun. In taiji since every move of the forms is suppose to have at least 40 applications (rule of thumb - not exact fact) and its literal meaning is the grand ultimate, everything is taiji. So however you look at your opponet is how you do it, its not wrong and its not right. If it works, it works.

Now with WC close range fighting/trapping I usually look along the midsection of the body for the same reasons mentioned above. This is a more WC minded approach. You can see their shoulders/elbows move for punches and watch their hips for kicks. Using your peripheral vision. You can keep track of all of your opponet's weapons that way.

I would like to know what kind of blind spot training people do. You never know when you might get blind sided from someone. I guess glancing in your blind spots every now and again would be a good thing, kind of like checking your mirrors when you are driving your car.

[Becca]

Originally posted by norther practitioner
I close my eyes and swing wildly most of the time.... :D

Up close, I watch the eyes- It can give away what direction they are probably going to attack twards, and sometimes lets me know what they are expecting me to do. Are they jumpy and uneasy, angry, distracted, or confident? All of this shows in the eyes.

From any kind of distance, I look at the base of thier neck so I don't get focused on any particular apendage.

[Gangsterfist]

Originally posted by sc_guy
Look at his front leg. He has to put weight on his front leg before he can punchs, kicks, or move in toward you. Use the "chain kick" and don't allow him to put any weight on his front leg then you are safe.


What if you are fighting a practioner of 50/50 foot work? Technically there should not be any more weight on any side, or front or back.

[Gangsterfist]

Originally posted by sc_guy
...both legs position are not front and back then his nutts is open to you. Kick his nutts and back fist to the top of his head. If he has one leg forward and one leg back then either "step on his knee" or "matching kick to sweep his front leg".


Okay point taken.

[Ikken Hisatsu]

and while you're staring at his feet he gives you a good smack in the face.

I tend to look around the base of the neck like most people here, and up close I look at the eyes, they can give things away. an inexperienced fighter makes it blatantly obvious where his next attack is directed by his eyes.

[CaptinPickAxe]

I stare at his woman to make him angry and give me the advantage...:D

I usually don't focus on any part mainly. I keep my eyes in the neck lower face region.

[Chang Style Novice]

(alternate wiseass reply)

I look right at the screen - you should know your joystick combinations by heart.

[rogue]

Originally posted by sc_guy, Look at his front leg. What happens if you think you're looking at his front leg but he's just really, really, really glad to see you?:eek: :confused:

[FatherDog]

When in striking/outside range, I look mainly at his chest and shoulders, or his hips, depending on my level and what I'm planning on doing.

Once I've clinched, if I'm looking at anything, I'm usually looking at his feet. I can feel what his arms are doing; I can't always tell what position his feet are in without looking.

[Ikken Hisatsu]

..... and if hes a better kicker than you? longer legs? all very well keeping him at range but if he can mess you up from there its rather pointless dont you think?

[Ikken Hisatsu]

oh ok, so what youre saying is that I should look at their feet but only if im fighting a replicant of myself, or beating up some children. you still didnt answer my original question of "what if hes bigger than you are"

[Ikken Hisatsu]

Originally posted by sc_guy
Why you would think the size will make any difference here? Of course if his arm is longer than your leg then that's different story. I assume you are familiar with the "chain kick".

well what the hell do you think I mean? jesus this is frustrating. unless he is some kind of deformity, someone taller than you is gonna have longer reach than you. in this situation I would be trying to get inside his area to nullify his reach, instead of looking at his feet. yet again you have side stepped my question which is starting to make me think you have no idea what the hell you are talking about.

and I have a vague idea of what you mean by chain kicking, but if you could expand on it, that would be dandy.

[David Jamieson]

well, first i try to find the flock of turtles as indicated by my opponents pointing and exclaming techniques, then, -stars-. I look at the stars for a while.

:D

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

i scan.

[Mr Punch]

I look at the back of my hands as I'm holding them up, then I either look at the ceiling or the pool of beer and blood my nose is in depending on which way up I've landed.

Or I look at his nuts, to alarm him.

Or I look past his left shoulder. This makes him think you are crazy and gives you enough with your peripheral vision. Plus, for most right handed people, staring to your right and down a bit is the neural programming trigger for intense concentration, and your right and up a bit is for new and funky concepts, so if you get it in between, you should fight like a movie star!!! Alternatively, a bit to either side, with your forehead pointed at your opponent, should trigger the best of your peripheral vision, and wide-range perception like listening which will help you determine environmental conditions like buddies approaching etc.

Or his throat, the top of his chest, the middle of his forehead. Puts some people off and gives you a good view peripherally.

Or in his eyes. At the start of the confrontation and the first second or two in, if you have that look. If you are good at convincing yourself you're not scared, this can be good, or alternatively, if you are really scared and you look it, the human factor can sometimes stump them temporarily while you kick em in the nuts or pull out the lowest trick you can... bwuhahaha, they'll have plenty of time to consider never trusting another human in the nick!!!

The first two were joking. The rest are surprisingly serious: based on experience, things I've read, and things I've been taught by LEOs.

[Mr Punch]

BTW, I do somewhat agree that one of the many effective places to look can be the lead leg as SC Guy says, but personally, I don't like looking down.

[Ikken Hisatsu]

Originally posted by sc_guy
You still look at his face and just use the bottom of your eyes to look at his knee so he won't know your intention.

oh that was it? well why didnt you just say you're actually looking where everyone else looks. suprisingly enough, everyone else here can see their opponents knees when they look at their chest- the whole point is that you can see each limb. thanks for taking ages to answer my question btw.


- Strong fire can viperate water.
- Strong wood can break metal sword.
- Heavy water can wash away dirt.
- Mud slide can take down trees.
- Lots of metal pieces can put off water.


first of all viperate isnt a word and second of all what is that supposed to mean apart from stating the obvious- gee would never of guessed that tonnes and tonnes of mud sliding down a hill could break down some trees. if you're going to make up some mystical chinese crap at least make it sound decent.

[Becca]

Originally posted by sc_guy
:confused: Don't understand what you mean!
He means your "third" leg.

Sc_guy, I agree with you on why to keep them out of your defending space, but you can do more than kick or close. You can also fient to draw them in. Minor point, I know, but still a point.:)

[Shou Shu Blue]

the only place to look is center of opponents chest Your able to see every aspect of His/Her movements, without loosing any peripherial vision.

you look right at the sternum you can see head, shoulders, chest hips, and legs. No need to look anywhere else.

Salute,

[joedoe]

I usually look at the face/eyes. Never had a problem seeing body/limb movement, but I guess my peripheral vision is pretty good. I guess as you move into closer range, looking at the chest makes a lot of sense.

[BAI HE]

Waist to collarbone, The trunk.

[BAI HE]

Lol at Ikken!

SC Guy's first language may not be English and he would probably be just as happy eating your face for an omelet as shaking hands with you.

For real.

[SifuAbel]

SC-Guy,


Don't get mad, everybody on the internet thinks they are Gwan Gong.

As to where I look? I look down , I don't want to stumble on my opponents corpse as I walk away. :D

[Water Dragon]

I haze my eyes. I actually fight with my eyes half close and most of the time I'm looking at some odd direction. I end up seeing 'motion' and 'react' to it. It flips out my boxing coach, but it works so he doesn't say anything.

I put my intention into the other guys front leg for the reason sc_guy mentioned. It works. If you spar, you know that you try to maintain 'safe distance' so you can see his attacks. So he has to step into you to attack you. He has to put his weight on the front leg.

If you teep the knee hard as soon as he shifts to the front leg, he can't put his body into his punches. Sure he can arm punch you, but as a martial artist you should be able to take that with no problem. I like to throw the kick to the knee and then come in right away with a jab cross hook combo. It works well for me.

[Vash]

Sorry, sc_guy, no one in this country speaks english.

We speak american.

I once quized a british student attending school in the arkansas area (she was the friend of a friend) (God alone knows why she was here) "what's the difference between American english and British English?" After giving me a rather dirty look, she said, "well, we pronounce our words correctly for one thing. And for another, *our lack of teeth make it much easier to his at you.*

*words contained herein MIGHT have been edited to fulfill the author's political agenda [which herein translates as "pi$$ing on the British"]*

:eek: :rolleyes: ;) :D :o

[Ikken Hisatsu]

at least we dont have to dumb down hard words such as "colour" and "flavour" :rolleyes:

and sc_guy, you knew what I was talking about, you were just side stepping the question because you knew the answer was "well ok we do look there as well im just trying to be different"

and sorry if i said anything offensive I was getting annoyed.

[Water Dragon]

Ikken Hisatsu, you should start writing to sc_guy in Chinese, that's his first language.

What? You're not fluent in Chinese? Welll then, maybe you should take some time to try and figure out what a Senior Practitioner is trying to share with you despite the fact that he is not using his primary language.

[Ray Pina]

"an inexperienced fighter makes it blatantly obvious where his next attack is directed by his eyes."

Yes! But an experience one will trick you with the same principle:) Aren't martial arts great!