Never take your guard off. Extemely hard Leg Kick to make then possibly fall to their knees. This is just what I do, Being in muay thai and all.
Energy Perhaps the most important thing in combat is energy. Energy is gained through proper movement before and during the fight. Energy is lost through activity, malnourishment, improper breathing, ailments and wounds. Loss of energy results in tiredness, loss of focus, disruption of judgment, and may cause you to lose the fight. Use minimal effort toward maximum efficiency. Your movement must be smooth and balanced. If your movement is not smooth, it is not balanced. If you are not balanced you are vulnerable to attack and defeat. This is gained through coordination, strength and relaxation. It may be disrupted if you are going through stress or if you uncomfortable. An object in motion tends to stay in motion, and object at rest tends to stay at rest. This pattern was observed by Sir Isaac Newton, a marvelous thinker of the past. This law is applicable in combat. It takes more energy to stop and go than to stay in a constant motion, no matter what the speed. Stay in motion, conserving your energy. It is harder to hit a moving target, rather than a still one. Do not waste your energy on unnecessary movement, be efficient. Do not be fancy, we are not trying to entertain our opponent but rather defeat them. Do not move quickly, when quick movement is not needed. Do not overuse your strength. Be prepared, have good endurance. Endurance is needed for any strenuous activity to last. Your body must be prepared through strict training. Your cardiovascular system must be in good health. Your muscles and skin must be hardened in order to provide you with protection enough to last. Breathe properly. Notice your opponents breathing patterns and habits; disrupt them. Breathe with your diaphragm and your chest, through your nose and your mouth. Don’t let you opponent pick up on any of your breathing patterns or habits. This is the hardest thing to learn and will take years of practice. When you are inhaling, be prepared to exhale quickly. If you get hit while inhaling, you may lose your breath. If you do not breathe properly, you will lose your breath. Your opponent will notice your loss of breath, gain in positive thinking, and will use it to their advantage. Take deep breathes quietly while your opponent is unaware. Position Have a balanced and relaxed position. A pine is easy to break, yet the willow bends right back to its place. The point is to disrupt your opponents balance, not your own. Always have a firm base. You do not build your house on the sand, but rather on a good laid foundation (This analogy also has a higher meaning, other than that offered here). Do not trap your own movement, causing you to be vulnerable in losing your balance. Move with ease and grace as a dancer. Your center of balance is about a pinkie finger’s length below your naval in a straight standing position, and is changing as you move. Think of the center of the earth as a magnet and your center of balance as a piece of metal. Always align your base to this law called gravity. Use every opportunity to disrupt your opponents balance. When your opponent is moving, or when they are in an unstable position they are vulnerable to lose their balance. Use gravity to your advantage. Allow your mind to be calm and relaxed, don’t stress. Stress brings forth tension, and tension promotes loss of relaxation. Relaxation is important to speed, energy, power, everything. Not being relaxed can also promote to negative thinking. Do not create an opening in yourself; create an opening in your opponent. Keep a closed and protected position. Keep your elbows in close to your body. Do not place or wave your hands in front of your eyes. You need not distract yourself or diminish your field of vision. You should be able to deliver any attack without having to reposition. Repositioning will promote to the perception of your opponent. Motion Set the rhythm between you and your opponent. Rhythm is the pattern of movement between you and your opponent; whether it is a repeating pattern or not, it is still a pattern. Either force your opponent to follow your movement, or follow your opponent’s movement and then break it in an attempt to gain control. Use your opponent’s energy to your advantage. When they overuse their energy, when they lose their energy or when they don’t use enough energy; it can alter their judgment for a short time. It is easier to surprise someone once their judgment has been altered. Therefore they are open to attack. Do not follow a specific pattern in rhythm, be spontaneous. Your footwork must always be balanced and unpredictable. When a pattern is set, break it. There is a tendency to follow it. When the opponent is attempting to adapt themselves to the new rhythm then there is a great opportunity for attack. Timing is of great importance, keep up with the tempo. Do not slow down when speed is needed, do not follow your opponent when they dance around the ring. Yet keep all awareness. Do not use quick movement, when it is not necessary. You must never hesitate; this will cause you to lose time. Time is of great importance, the more time you waste, the more energy you waste Force Use your opponent’s movement to your advantage. Combine your force with your opponent’s. If your opponent goes a certain way in technique, go with them if you know a way to use that. Yet do not let yourself be lured into a trap, be aware at all times. Sometimes it is necessary to go against them, in your footwork. Yet keep in mind as stated above don’t follow them while they run or dance around the ring. Dissipate your opponent’s force. If you are being hit, the blow coming from your opponent may be dissipated when one you tense only in the area of the target and two if you move your body in the same direction of the hit, while maintaining balance and control. Deflect their attacks rather than have two trains meet head on to stop the train; change the track. If you attempt to stop your opponent’s attack head on, you will be using unnecessary energy. This also may cause you more pain than your opponent. Don’t catch a falling knife on the blade. Power Match the threat of technique with the level of threat generated by your opponent. Do not use a sledge hammer to nail a tack to the wall, when only a finger is needed. Always show mercy, everything in its proper context. Take advantage of your opponent’s weaknesses. The weakness of their body, their technique, and habits any weakness can be used to your advantage. Know your weaknesses; don’t let your opponent catch on to them, lest they use your weakness to their advantage. Know your power, your capabilities, and your strength. Only use them to their full capacity when completely necessary. Not doing this may cause loss of balance, or self injury. This is the main reason why it is important to asses your opponents physically, their height, weight, and structure. Gaining this judgment and using the benefits of it takes proficiency in science and mathematics. Yet do not sit there and calculate, learn to do this instinctively. Always have complete control over yourself. Even at high speeds you should be able to stop or change direction at will. Be efficient in power. Know how to use your entire body correctly to the advantage of the technique. Know when to use what type of movement in your technique. Only use your full power in the right context. Be precise; do not change your mind in the middle of a technique. If you perceive that action will be ineffective, draw back, and continue the match. You should be able to gracefully and easily move from one technique to the next. Know your tools and when to use them properly in the given situation. Some tools will have greater power than others in the given situation. All of your tools should be sharpened and honed before they are used in combat. Be accurate, aim for an effective attack. Missing the target may cause the attack to be ineffective, whether you successfully delivered the attack or not. This is where target practice comes in. Missing the target may also cause you to lose balance. Use your opponent’s power against them. Drain their energy and draw them away from their source of strength. Use your strength against their weakness; do not let this be reversed. Do not expose your true weaknesses. Learn to use everything to your advantage. Focus Do not be distracted by anything, keep your focus on the fight. Distraction makes you vulnerable to attack. In order to stop the fight, total concentration is needed. This includes mental and physical concentration. Mental concentration is having these qualities listed, and using them all as one while not thinking. Physical concentration is using your body, your opponent’s body and your surroundings as one toward your advantage. Do not let your mind wander or dream. Simply react, do not think. Thinking is only another distraction. Remember, the things listed here are qualities and not points to remember while in actual combat. Know your own strengths, weaknesses and habits. Do not allow yourself to conscious of them during the fight. Not only is this thinking; it may also cause you to inadvertently show them. Pick up on your opponents fighting qualities, yet do not focus on them. Act and react to your opponent accordingly with their ability. Be aware of your opponent and your surroundings at all times. Use all five senses, highly attuned and developed. Use your surroundings to your advantage. Using your surroundings to your advantage will take creativity which is governed by intelligence and gained through experience. Be aware of your range. Know where your opponent is at all times. Keep your eyes focused on the center of attack, which is at about the level of the solar plexus. Develop you peripheral vision enough to aim at a target that you are not looking directly at. Not being fully aware of your range could cause your technique to be ineffective. This may cause you to overthrow, therefore hurting you more than your opponent. It may also cause you to under throw, which can cause you to lose your balance. Learn when and when not to blink by noticing the position of your opponent. When you blink do it quickly, for even a second of sight loss can make you vulnerable, especially if all of your senses are not well attuned yet. Have a good memory. Don’t forget your surroundings, or where your opponent is; yet do not focus on trying to remember. You can use any exposed skin to feel your opponent, you can listen to the movements of your opponent. Usually after a while of combat, your opponent will start to smell more potently. Remember what they smell like. When your eyes have closed, your brain automatically shifts the focus that it takes to your other senses. Developing the senses to react together and accordingly with the given situation will take much proper training. Have complete control over yourself at all times, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Having complete control over yourself will insure your control of the situation. Spontaneous Be unpredictable; do not set yourself to any certain pattern. Following a set pattern will make you vulnerable to attack. Your opponent may pick up on it and use it to their advantage. Attempt to trick or confuse your opponent. You should be able to act and react from any position. Not having to set and reset yourself for any attack or defense. When you set yourself up to deliver an attack it is called telegraphing. Telegraphing allows the opponent to prepare for your attack. If they are prepared for your attack, then your attack will be either lose its effectiveness or be ineffective. No planning, only perception. Do not commit yourself to a plan, this is too predictable. Develope a level of true and quick perception and learn to react properly to it. Train all of your senses to work properly together. No prediction, only anticipation. Do not predict what your opponent is going to do next. You can learn to anticipate an attack by picking up on your opponent’s habits. Pick up on your opponent’s habits or set reactions; if they have any. Use a variety of tools and techniques, use you surroundings to your advantage. If you use the same old tools your opponent will be more prepared for your next action. Do not allow yourself to be trapped in a box. If you have a style or a way of doing things, this will allow your opponent to prepare themselves, and will add to their anticipation of you. Have attuned and developed reflexes. Not reacting too early, or too late. If you react too early you are vulnerable to attack. If you react too late, you have already been attacked. Timing is everything in delivering a successful attack or defense. still needs aloooooooot of work, but these are where my thoughts are now.
improvement of martial skill? if you are refering to that then i must say that long exercises in tedium help just as much.
defining or gaining combat qualities can be boring to some, but that is not the basis of the training
one can not gain a combat quality or truely know the meaning of a combat quality without engaging in actual combat.
there are more factors when weapons are involved, but yes, im trying to make this theory applicable to all combat. Im trying to point out and define the primary factors of combat.
That is very true, the original post probably should have had somewhere in it asking a vet. w/ personal combat experience. But some of what was said is viable. Later...
yes, the question was indeed geared towards more experienced martial artists, and i should have mentioned that. I guess i just assumed that people with little combat experience wouldn't bother too much with posting theories, but would spend their time reading them.
the second half... Attack The only time to deliver an effective attack is when your opponent is off guard. Your opponent must be surprised, in order for your attack to be successful. A successful attack and an effective attack are two different things. An attack needs to be successful in order to be effective. However the successful attack may not be effective, if the tool is not used properly. Attack when your opponent blinks, they have lost their vision for a split second, and this will slow their reaction time. When they are inhaling, they are full of air. If you attack at this time, you may cause your opponent to lose their breath and disrupt their breathing altogether. When they are distracted, they lose sight of you. When they are unaware of an opening, act quickly, and be prepared for a counterattack or a block. After they have blocked an attack of yours, they will not expect you to spring back with another attack. They will have in their mind that they have made you vulnerable to attack. When they are withdrawing, or has shown a sign of fear or intimidation, it is a good time for you to act on their weaknesses. When they are resetting themselves to a rhythm, they are preoccupied. Any time your opponent is preoccupied is a good time to deliver a successful attack. When they are attacking, intercept their attack with an attack of your own. Counterattack when your opponent has delivered an unsuccessful attack. Attack when they lose their balance, or are vulnerable to it. When they are moving, or do not have a firm base, use gravity to your advantage. Your opponent losing balance gives you the advantage. It gives you an opportunity to end the fight, whether in reason, or in force. Attack when their movement is trapped. Trap your opponent so that their movement is limited. Attack after your opponent has delivered a successful attack, yet not an effective one. Draw your opponent into a trap by creating a false opportunity. This is a way of setting anticipation. yet beware, they won’t always pay heed to your opening. When there is an opening do not hesitate, act quickly. Be quick in both mind and body. Move in and out on your opponent quickly. Use your tools quickly. Offer a false telegraph. Sometimes it is necessary to use a technique in no attempt to a successful execution, but rather to trick your opponent for them to react and create an opportunity of true attack. Distract your opponent, use your eyes, still keeping awareness of your opponent, to draw them away from the fight, talk to them, anything that will distract them; if they can be distracted. If your opponent has lost their concentration all together, they are the most vulnerable to attack. However an attack is not always necessary. The point is not to win the fight, but to stop it (unless you are a soldier). This is a good time for you to reason with your opponent. Never deliver an attack unless you perceive that it will be successful. Always use good form in delivering the techniques properly. Improper technique is as a painter wishing to make a sharp clear line, uses a wide and withered brush rather than a small and strong one. Defense Always have your guard, no matter how quick you are. Don’t be overconfident. Never underestimate your opponent. In doing this you are not matching your threat to theirs. It’s not about giving greater threat. Being the greater threat and giving it are two different things. Know combat before you take part in it. When you are attacking, is when you are the most vulnerable to an attack, because you are preoccupied. Keep a tool of defense ready even in an attack. Always be aware of how to maintain and regain balance. Attack is about power, yet defense is about ease. Do not use your full power in deflecting an opponents attack. Force is needed; yet do not overuse your force. Deflect their attacks rather than have two trains meet head on to stop the train; change the track. If you attempt to stop your opponent’s attack head on, you will be using unnecessary energy. This also may cause you more pain than your opponent. Don’t catch a falling knife on the blade. Maximize the range between you and your opponent to avoid being vulnerable to a successful attack. Attitude Have a positive attitude. Do not let any anger, fear, remorse, irritation, panic or any negative thinking come into your mind. This will diminish both your focus and your control. Try not to pay any heed to pain or tiredness. This will uplift your opponent, and they will become more aggressive. If you use anger then you defense becomes violence. Violence is combat with cruel intent. We must not intend to hurt, but rather stop the violence which has been projected by them, unless of course, you are a soldier, everything in its proper context. Act and react toward your opponent in a manner of peace. Their life is important as well as your own. Keep all positive thinking. Reason with them, the point of fighting is not to hurt them and win, it is to stop the fight. Match the threat of technique with the level of threat generated by your opponent. Do not use a sledge hammer to nail a tack to the wall, when only a finger is needed. Always show mercy. Be confident yet not overconfident. Stay determined and motivated to end the fight. Always remain calm and keep a calm appearance.
