Thoughts on what else I could try?

[Becca]

I goobered my shoulder sparring Tuesday night. Nothing overly serious. I learned my lesson and went to Dr. Fu before it progressed into something really bad. He worked his magic on it, and I've got full range of motion back, but the tendons running just under the top bone are still swollen and very tender. Doc said that the swelling will go away on it's own in a few days, but I have to take it easy. No lifting more than 30 lbs, no push-ups, etc...

No worries; I didn't even have to miss my regular Thursday class. I'm one of the lucky one's who's teacher considers these types of situations a challenge to the student, not to himself. I knew he'd probably just dig out his extensive repertoire of torture-based yoga for something for me to do while the rest of the class worked upper body.

Sifu had no problems with me not using my left shoulder/arm. I was wrong about my alternate exorcizes, though. I got to hold in the up part of a sit-up. That would have been a long time, but my run was much slower than usual, so I was a lot latter than everyone else returning. (for some reason, the jolt of my feet hitting the pavement was excruciating... ) I'm a slow runner on the best of days, anyway...

We sparred again today, which was... interesting. There was a time when I found no point in sparring with an injury. I have come to realize that the inability to use a specific set of techniques is not necessarily a hindrance. Many times, I've seen a fighter who'd been dominating his opponent loose because he'd hit an elbow full on, breaking a hand. Many are clueless about how to continue. They've never trained themselves to fight with a hand/arm/leg out of commission.

Yeah, I know they probably tie up an arm then try to spar, but it's different when you can't use the arm due to injury. It hurts, for one, and that discomfort is very distracting. You have to fight the impulse to turtle around your injury, cause you're going to get stomped if you do. Sparring one handed means if you use the good one to block, you can't punch. If you actively block a strike, your head is wide open. But you can't not block. This is the conundrum all injured fighters face. Tonight I learned a few new lessons in how to fight one handed. And I think I will find those lessons valuable even after my shoulder is healed and useable.

The first lesson was that not being able to use one arm was not only not a good excuse not to be aggressive, but a very bad idea, too. You can't counter punch with a broke puncher. So what are you going to do? Stand there and let them close in on you???

You have to take it to them, and with full intent of clobbering them. Holding back may be a common thing while sparring a friend, but it will not help in this case. You have to make your opponent too wary of you to want to commit. Then they stop countering you well; they start to miss openings they would normally see coming a mile away, like the fact that every time you punch your head is wide open.

The second lesson I learned is when you only have the one usable arm, do not rely on it for blocking! One hand can cover your kidneys or your head, but not both. If they hit one, you will move your arm to block the now sore spot, leaving the other wide open. Keep your hand high, and if you can block without moving it much, fine. But you're better off moving you. This will mean taking a a lot of deflections, but fewer square hits. Keep the one good hand for attacking.

The third lesson was that if you can bring your leg up high to chamber a high kick, you can use it to block that high, as well. This works best if you are good at moon jumps, as they will try to attack the support leg. I caught a very nice elbow right in the shin tonight. It is already black and has been numb since it happened. But that elbow strike was coming in at my ribs! That would have hurt a whole heck of a lot more! Plus, that leg is still chambered when they are withdrawing their arm... I don't know about other styles, but all basic kicks in Pai Lum start from this chambered position, so I've got all sorts of things I can use to chase that arm back in with.

So. My question is, can you guys think of any more tricks for me to try out untill my wing is usable again?

[Crushing Fist]

the first and most obvious is use more leg tech.

especially low kicks/leg traps to get them thinking/looking low playing into your strength. for instance, if they block your kicks with shins/knees turn the kick into a push with the leg to turn them away and put them off balance. whenever possible use these tactics to maneuver to their outside flank. From this position they effectively have only one arm in play. this forces them to react and try to move into a better position. like you said you need to keep the initiative and force them to keep reacting, don't let them choose the position.


for hand tech you need to use single hand deflect/strike combos, again preferably to the outside. an example (and one of my favorites) is to deflect their lead hand down then bounce off of it into a backfist. combining this kind of redirect/strike with quick angular steps will keep you out of the way of their big guns while they constantly try to defend and reset at the same time.


if you are worried about getting caught with takedowns/throws and you have good legs, you could turn it into a long range battle. just don't let them into punching range at all. the only problem with this is that it requires you to be more defensive and react instead of taking it to them. but if you are determined not to get baited in and keep with the plan its fairly easy to keep someone at bay with defensive leg techs.



I often use one-arm tactics in sparring just for the fun of it. when you have both arms but keep one back out of the way, you can get the opponent focused on that arm. then when the time comes and they have left an opening forgetting about your other arm, you have the equivalent of reserve troops to come charging in from the flank.


on a side note: I'm about to start blindfold sparring again in a few weeks. That is always so much fun

[Becca]

the first and most obvious is use more leg tech.

especially low kicks/leg traps to get them thinking/looking low playing into your strength. for instance, if they block your kicks with shins/knees turn the kick into a push with the leg to turn them away and put them off balance. whenever possible use these tactics to maneuver to their outside flank. From this position they effectively have only one arm in play. this forces them to react and try to move into a better position. like you said you need to keep the initiative and force them to keep reacting, don't let them choose the position.

I actaully use kicks a lot. More than one person last night commented on sore ribs from roundhouse kicks I'd landed.

for hand tech you need to use single hand deflect/strike combos, again preferably to the outside. an example (and one of my favorites) is to deflect their lead hand down then bounce off of it into a backfist. combining this kind of redirect/strike with quick angular steps will keep you out of the way of their big guns while they constantly try to defend and reset at the same time.

Nice! I've used that before, but always with the other hand up blocking my head. I bet it would work just fine if I'm quick enough.

if you are worried about getting caught with takedowns/throws and you have good legs, you could turn it into a long range battle. just don't let them into punching range at all. the only problem with this is that it requires you to be more defensive and react instead of taking it to them. but if you are determined not to get baited in and keep with the plan its fairly easy to keep someone at bay with defensive leg techs.

Not a problem; only me and one other are any good at take-downs in our class. None of the others have come close to being able to throw me yet if I don't let them. And the one who can would rather aim wheel kicks at my niggin.

I did have a problem holding people off for a "long range battle." This would be because I'm only 5'1" and evryone I sparred was at least 5'8". Reach is a big disadvantage for me.

I often use one-arm tactics in sparring just for the fun of it. when you have both arms but keep one back out of the way, you can get the opponent focused on that arm. then when the time comes and they have left an opening forgetting about your other arm, you have the equivalent of reserve troops to come charging in from the flank.

Good point. I will have to try that. I bet it works well for leg techniques, as well. I could try to make them think I won't kick with my left untill they are sure I won't, then nail them with a nice side or front thrust kick.

on a side note: I'm about to start blindfold sparring again in a few weeks. That is always so much fun

If you say so...

[Crushing Fist]

If you say so...

really it is!

its a whole new game called "what direction are they coming from?"

unless they have very quiet stepping its usually pretty easy to know generally where they are, and once contact is made my strategy is to remain in contact using close range fighting/sticking.

after practicing this for some time I started to feel this kind of "zone" around me somewhere from 18 inches to 2 feet out that when someone enters I can just tell. It may be sound related somehow, like they are interfereing in the subtle environmental background noise... I don't really know. but I do know its FUN!

there's nothing quite like the feeling of making a block on a strike coming from your rear flank when logically you should have no way of knowing where it is coming from or when. I think enough of this training would reduce the danger of being "sucker punched" quite a bit.



but back on the topic...

the reach disadvantage does make it a bit tougher to play the long range game. Another way to play it is to use rapid range changing techniques, the old "hit and run" strategy. after closing in and getting off your strikes, the best exit is always the outside flank. Then reset and do it again. At my school this is the favorite method of one of the shorter guys and he uses it to very good effect. Think of it like a "drive by" or a "dive bomber"