Originally Posted by
Grumblegeezer
My question is, can we ever train to the point when we can stay loose, relaxed and fluid enough to apply good WC when we face those "sudden, violent lines of attack", coming from a larger, physically intimidating stranger ...i.e. an assault or mugging on the street. Or must we hope to get by using whatever is left of our skill when we are tense and soaked with adrenalin?
It's a good question, Grumblegeezer.
The key word is "stranger". I don't believe you can ever 'fully' negate the effects of an adrenaline rush in a real, life-threatening event. Only continued experience of being under pressure can help you cope.
But this is what surprised me about Kevin's clip with PB. And I say this with no disrespect to Kevin, honestly.
WC/VT/WT training teaches you how to deal with speed and power, particularly how to dissipate power. It all comes back to the notion of bridging and what we train Chi Sau and Lat Sau for. You have to play hard, of course, and I am sure the PB guys do.
However, in a class setting with an instructor, there is far less reason to be tense. It is a training environment, and even if you train hard and with power, even if you go at full speed - you learn to overcome the fear of the hit. Even if you do get hit sometimes and it hurts like f*ck.
Your instructor is never going to kill you (one hopes)
We all tense up, but I was surprised by Kevin's clip as he not only teaches, but has also had 40+ real encounters on the street (encounters where there was surely very real intent to harm).
In the clip they are working a response drill only. I expected to see PB dominating (he's obviously really very good), but not dominating to that extent, and not because Kevin became tense when the power and speed was turned on in a friendly setting.
No mocking, tongue-in-cheek signature here... move on.