Movement

Posted by: robertdeniro

Movement - 12/22/02 07:56 AM

This previous thread has discussed in some length the importance of simplifying your technical combinations to allow them to be used more efficiently in a real hands-on stressful encounter.However,I have a couple of points of my own to add to the debate.The first is regarding the importance of movement.Most people are discussing which technique to use and when to use them,but in myexperience if your movement,lateral and forwards and backwards,is good you will be able to avoid most attacks.Obviously a determined attacker may get through with the odd blow (and that is another point I'd like to discuss)but let's not forget that we will not be an inanimate target.I would like tothink that I am going to get off a couple of blows whilst taking evasive action.We train to utilize distance in my martial art,shotokan karate,so I don not see defending myself as a problem unless I feeze up,which brings me to my other,well trodden point.
A lot of emphasis is placed on the mental aspect of an encounter,and rightly so.But I think that once the fight starts most people's training will kick in.I think one of the most important things is being able to take the odd blow and not get too phased by it.If you don't get rattled you will more likely prevail with your superior fighting ability and fitness.You can only train as best as you can taking into account that not everyone really wants to be kicking seven shades out of each other in training.What's the point of that,you may not ever get into a scrap and all that 'real' contact fighting may have been in vain.When soldiers train for battle they do not use live rounds on each other.However,simulation can be made to be as real as possible and when the time comes it is simply down to a test of character.