Details of Fighting!

[TAO YIN]

Hello!

Ok I know that in the heat of battle a person shouldn't really think for the most part, instead they should just act. However, there are many different ways of training in every different martial art school that get people ready for a confrontation. Let's look at this like you know you are going to fight. A challenge if you will. Besides the mental, psychological, and physical factors that happen to the normal human body before a known fight, what are some of the base logical aspects you all concentrate on?


Examples:

Where do you focus your eyes on the opponent? Some say head, some say throat, some say sternum, what is the best for you and why?

How do you efficently get into and out of range while keeping your vital areas protected?

How do you read your opponent's style, techniques?

Do you pay more attention to the lead hand and lead leg, or rear hand and rear leg?

Do you concentrate on attacking, or defending to attack?

etc, etc...

Feel free to add anything you want!


Thanks

Tao Yin

[dutch]

Hi Tao Yin,

You ask a question that is both ask by many, and at the same time, very difficult to truely answer.

To your first question...I have learned not to focus my eyes on anything - yet everything. What I mean is, I do not pay attention to a specific body area. Instead I just look forward towards my opponent, but as if I'm looking through them. If you focus on any one thing or area, you have to remember that you are now using some of your mind/thought for that purpose, which takes away from total awareness.

Second question...ranging is one of the more difficult principles to learn. There is no one idea of how to do it properly, because it will always be based on how your opponent stands and fights himself/herself. What I mean by that is, that if your opponent tends to use their feet and legs more, then you will have to bridge the distance between you different than if they tended to use their hands more.

Third question...If you follow the answer to question one, then your mind is totally open and aware. In turn you will be able to respond to any small movement or intent by your opponent. As far as reading a certain style or technique, I think that will only come from more and more practise with as many partners who fight differently as possible.

Forth question...do not pay more attention to any one thing. Again, be open to all things, and pay specific attention to nothing.

Fifth question...what I'm going to do depends on the threat level posed by my opponent. If the threat is low, I think that my concentration would be on defending into some type of temporary hold or lock to try and convince my opponent to not go any further with his attack. If the threat level is high, I would then turn my concentration to more of an attack mode to completely destroy my opponent (destroy in the sense of ending the confrontation at that moment, not to kill him).

Well, that's my $1.05 on the subject,

[watzun]

I'd say the best way to set up for a fight would be to...

Try to clear your mind. Instead of staring the oponent down, or focusing on a part, try to open your eyes and see the whole picture.

I would definatly not try to pickout one of his hands to watch. If you don't know his style its a coin toss.

I've heard that in a fight, often the best defense is offence. Get in range only once.

Give em a nice little wink before you go in.

good luck
-watzun

[SevenStar]

Actually, IMO, you SHOULD focus on parts of his body, but only a brief second. If you can, you want to scan him - just a quick look to certain areas - you want to look for things like bulges in his pockets, as he may have some sort of weapon. If ou are good at remaining relaxed, you can even do this scan while fighting, if need be.

[Former castleva]

As previously said-"eagle vision".
Concentrate on the opponent as one single organism.

[Kristoffer]

Just relax and trust the instincts. Watch the hands. Where are they? Conceiled? Watch his eyes, is he looking at you? Where are you going and how can you get there without confronting that person?

[No_Know]

"Where do you focus your eyes on the opponent? Some say head, some say throat, some say sternum, what is the best for you and why?"

The ground (perhaps near the feet). I can see more without getting distracted as easily as looking closer. Person can't read my response through my eyes--reduces my telegraphing; increases my perceptivity.

"How do you efficently get into and out of range while keeping your vital areas protected?"

Keep my thighs close and arms in an interferance pattern.

"How do you read your opponent's style, techniques?"

Some might fight differently than they train. I can only recognize how they are about to Fight, not the style they studied before the fight. Certain things can come only from certain ways. Every posture or standing and weight shift dictates the small range of possible actions.

"Do you pay more attention to the lead hand and lead leg, or rear hand and rear leg?"

I pay attention to the strategies for which they seem to be trying to set me up.

"Do you concentrate on attacking, or defending to attack?"

Hopefully, I don't attack. -ish

More logical aspects?

Who will care if this person gets hurt? What happens if person dies? Will they hold a grudge if they loose~? Do they hurt my circle if they can't hurt me directly? Am I responding out of Pride? Am I doing this to be/look impressive? Who am I trying to impress? Is impressing them this way worthwhile...impressing is not from me to be considered a valid reason for me to fight.

[SanSoo Student]

I usually train to get accustomed to certain target points so I can attack them immediately, without hesitation. The best places to hit are throat, sloar plexis, groin, eyes, and temple. The situation about judging your distance, I would usually recommend getting inside the person. Once you are close to the person it is easier to connect, and once you connect on your attacks: you can finish him off or run away.

[dnc101]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by TAO YIN
in the heat of battle a person shouldn't really think for the most part,

I allways think:'Oh sh!t, why me, mommeeeee, etc.'

Where do you focus your eyes on the opponent?

Don't focus, but observe &watch. Scan. Initially the eyes tell you a lot. But take in the whole picture. Upper torso usually gives the best early indication of any body movement.

How do you efficently get into and out of range while keeping your vital areas protected?

Proper stances and footwork, attention to basics. The most common complaint I get from my sparing partners is sore insteps. Foot traps and leg checks are so ingrained in my style that I don't even realize I'm doing them, and I refuse to consciously delete them in hard sparing (I will loan out instep protection). Same with foot maneuvers- we drill them ad nauseum. They have to be second nature in a fight.

How do you read your opponent's style, techniques?

If you have that luxurey, stay back and maneuver a little, watch him, spar a little & test him. Try to draw him out. But an experienced fighter may not show you everything he's got untill it's too late.

Do you pay more attention to the lead hand and lead leg, or rear hand and rear leg?

Pay attention to the fighter, what he's doing. Where all hands and feet are, and how he holds/positions them.

Do you concentrate on attacking, or defending to attack?

Depends on the opponent and the situation. If he charges in, I'm obviously going to defend, let him close the gap. Go for position, contour his moves and try to use his momentum against him (attackig or withdrawing). If he's trying to delay or hold me untill his friends get there, I'm obviously going to attack. The response to in between situations depends on how I feel, what I read in him, just whatever happens.

Another way to look at this question is from the perspective of offensive mind set, in which case you allways attack. 'Attack the attack', 'every block a strike, every strike a block', etc. The word 'Ute', in Japanese, is to 'block'. A lot of martial artists get hung up there- block first, then attack. That usually ends up with you blocking several attacks until one gets through. In Okinawan, 'Ute' means to 'recieve'. This implies that you do something with that attack. Blocking is still an option, but you want to control it, and him. Use a strike that doubles as a block. Make contact and use his momentum/energy against him. Move for position as you block. Contour his move to find an opening.

etc, etc...

In the really serious fights, I doubt you'll have much time to worry about any of this. Work hard on basics now. Train for reaction to sudden assault. Learn to work with the weight of an assailant on you, and get past the dojo style grabs on your self defenses. Ex: a person that bear hugs you isn't going to walk up, grab you, and stand there with his head in line with yours so you can head butt him. He's going to slam into you and either pick up and squeeze or drive you into something. If he does hold you, it's for his buddy to pound you. Most of the bear hug self defenses I've seen won't work against the real thing. Ours do, but only if you practice them that way and get past the mechanical 1-2-3 approach. Learn the principles, learn to work under force, learn to change up and improvise.

For those times you do have time, like when it's not realy serious, he wants to haze or intimidate, or to size you up first- work on disengagement, as well as attack and defense. A good ready stance that looks non threatening but is a strong platform from which to attack or defend. Verbal skills. Be mindful that the fight doesn't end when he's down- you still have to deal with the law and a thousand do gooders that seem to flock to the side of any poor degenerate victom of your unfair defensive actions.

Feel free to add anything you want!

That could be a dangerous thing to say to this bunch .

[nospam]

Where do you focus your eyes on the opponent? Some say head, some say throat, some say sternum, what is the best for you and why?

How do you efficently get into and out of range while keeping your vital areas protected?

How do you read your opponent's style, techniques?

Do you pay more attention to the lead hand and lead leg, or rear hand and rear leg?

Do you concentrate on attacking, or defending to attack?


My style has a simple approach:

No focus of the eyes as this can be deceiving and or feed personal insecurities. Step up and step forward to your opponent. Trust in your ability. If not then train harder and smarter.

There is no need to read your opponent's style as once you step up and forward into your opponent, it is 90% skill and 10% luck. As you are engaged with your opponent, you can not pay attention to any hand or leg..again reinforcing that you should not concentrate on anything other than making sure your footing takes you and/or maintains close proximity to your opponent (unless he is truly much taller and built like a gorilla, then instead of maintaining touch...hit..hit..hit...then get out. Now get back in as quicklyas you can and hit..hit..hit..then get out. Now, get right back in and ...) so you can employ your skill. There shouldn't be any self-defense as this denotes thinking, a luxury one can not afford when engaged. All there can and ever should be is attack. When the attacking is over, the fight is over. Then self-defense can be utilised, such as..do I stay or do I leave and fight more or fight his buddies...etc.

Fighting is simple. It becomes harder when you encounter someone more skilled...skill can also be inclusive to experience re: non-MAs. If you fight a lot, you acquire skill in the one area many MAs do not spend enough time in doing...the actual engagement of a fight. To me a skilled MAist is one that has acquired both. Tis as simple as fighting really.

nospam.

[rogue]

Who has time to focus on anything? Fights tend to be fast and more a matter of reaction than focus. Also it's been drilled into me that any in fight outside the dojo to start looking around for others who may join in. During sparring I've become very accustomed to tracking my opponent and also to the others sparring around us. A good bonus skill to have.

[WingTsun20]

In WingTsun we have a Wedge here n there!

We watch the Triangle(Wedge) We starts from the Head and goes to both shoulders so you actually what all the parts within that triangle! Say Shoulder Movement, head, leading with the nose etc....