Fighting Strategy

[YouKnowWho]

http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/WXA65Okrg_4

In this old Japanese movie (it's a great movie), the guy had a very interested fighting strategy (at 24.30 and 39.15). He would

- drop his sword lower and lower,
- bent his head down and down,
- move back one step after another,

when his opponent thought that he was weak and attacked, he would kill his opponent right at that moment.

Your thought?

[Faux Newbie]

http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/WXA65Okrg_4

In this old Japanese movie (it's a great movie), the guy had a very interested fighting strategy (at 24.30 and 39.15). He would

- drop his sword lower and lower,
- bent his head down and down,
- move back one step after another,

when his opponent thought that he was weak and attacked, he would kill his opponent right at that moment.

Your thought?

I'm having trouble loading the video right now, so this is my view without seeing it.

Being able to draw different attacks is a very useful skill, armed or unarmed. Unlike a feint, which is also useful, but is based on faking an attack to create an opening for a different one, drawing in an attack, if done well, sets up the opponent well by deciding their attack for them, and countering it.

This is one of the reasons I find that people who focus solely on offense miss the overall picture. They tend to focus on being strong or tough, and miss that this can be used against them. Offense is important, of course, but method consists of more than just charging.

It's like when people don't understand boxing, and always see it as two people trading blows, they miss how sometimes they are drawing, slipping, etc, when it is good boxers. When things are just reduced to punches, one has to be clever in drawing attacks and so forth, because the goal is not to get hit. Of course, some boxing matches are just trading blows, and some technical fighters can't get fights because they are not exciting enough for the crowds.

[YouKnowWho]

I think the advantage of defense fighting is you want your opponent to do the close distance for you. When I was tired, I liked to play defense. I would look down and move back slowly. When my opponent attacked, I suddenly attacked his leading leg that moved in to me.

Most of the Miao Diao skill are used for defense. You even hold your Miao Diao behind you and leave your body open. When your opponent uses his sword to stab your chest, or chop at your head, you swing your Miao Diao 45 degree up from behind to your front to deflect your opponent's attack. You then slide your Miao Dao along your opponent's sword, and chop his head off.