I want to know where you keep your hands when you are in ready position to fight, not spar, I mean ready to fight. Roughly... 11 and 2 positions (aka boxer) or 12 and 6 (aka JKD) or what ? Tell me what style you practice also, aka striker or grappling or what ? What do you find as the big benefit in having your hands in that position over any other position. Besides not being hit, lol.
Im a wrestler. 1. My opponents face. Id prefer to skip the dance. I just hit him. 2. Spread apart with my face and chest open. Cant look the least concerned. 3. Down at my waist pulling my pants up. Once again, I cant look concerned. 4. Close together with the palms open and up around the face. Might put the pinky up. Also, cant look concerned. Plus until the fight kicks into high gear, this stance will serve me well. I can smack him a bit, but as its a playful stance, theres still a chance that we dont have to fight even after the first few blows.
First I have a few questions to ask. What is the situation of the fight? Am I aware a confrontation is brewing? Or did some punk just leap at me out of an alleyway? I guess I'll answer both. Knowledge of fight: Both are roughly the same height (about throat level) with one hand back towards my chest (resting near my sternum), and the other extending out in a fist. No knowledge of the fight: Whatever my reaction happens to be, probably just a natural "boxers" hand position. Either that or skip the defensive hand position and go straight to a strike or (preferably) a joint lock/throw if I was really on the ball that day. Humbly, Alex Snyder
The popular concept at the moment (and with very credible advocates) is to set up a 'fence'. Basically, have your hands filling the gap between you and tha aggressor at close range (i.e. this is mainly for close range confrontations). The hands act as a trigger (although you can use other 'triggers'). To make this subtle, a whole range of gesturing can be used., often dynamic. Many deliberately look quite passive. Another modern approach is to have your hands together like praying. This is advocated by grapplers who tend to place a lot of emphasis on getting inside control in a clinch so they want their hands to start on the inside of their opponents (at least that's my understanding). Personnally though I'd prefer a 'safer' boxing guard but with the hands spread open palms facing with a 'please don' hert me gesture' or "calm down - calm down" attitude. Your hands are ready to cover-up/clinch or pre-emptive strike. But I've never had to actually use these so take advice with a pinch of salt.
In the "real" fights I have had, there were no stances.Unless you count the mount as a stance, of course these were apprehensions and main goal was cuff and stuff. Never been in a good ole fist fight, slugging it out toe to toe.I would guess the 11 and 6 position,open hand-elbows in. Study BJJ and Shin Nagare
On my opponent's throat. Usually I just go with what feels comfortable at the time. Always up though, so I can cover my head if I have to. PL
I usually stand with my right hand bent at my chest and my left hanging down in line with my body, which is standing with my right foot back. This or either right foot back and right hand by my chest and left hand out like a usual Tkd stance. Vice versa in switched stance.
Same. Never used "the fence" to the same degree as those demonstrated in the book/video, but a damn useful tool!! On an interesting note, I've seen posted on another forum that a teacher likes to use the following experiment. Get 2 people to square off, get one (or both) to use a closed fist guard. Ask which one is the aggressor. Do the same again, but one with an open handed guard. Budo.
This is great. I like to use hands at about 12 and 6 and have my arms extended alittle. This helps protect the center line and acts as interference for any attacks coming at my center line even if I'm not fast enough to block them out right. What I have found out the hard way is that with this stance you have to keep your oppenent right in front of you. If you don't this stance actually has holes in it if you don't keep the guy right infront of you. If you keep him in front of you then its great against kicks or hand strikes.
At my sides. In my pockets. In front of my stomach. Something that doesn't look aggressive so my opponent won't feel threatened. Threatened people don't want to give in. A "real fight" to me is an argument or some lesser verbal disagreement. I experience them at least once a week. That's real life, rubber-meets-the-road, hard core reality. Fist-fights don't ever happen. I'm still waiting for my first fist-fight. (Please, someone take a swing at me! Come on, try it! I dare you. ... Ya, that's what I thought.)
There isn't really one answer. It kind of depends on what you want to do, what you want him to do, and what he wants to do. Hand positioning is a part of tactics, and different situations and opponents call for different tactics. Like in a team sport, what is the best way to position you're defence men? Well, it depends....
i study tkd and the position i stand in is right leg back fighting position right hand closed covering your chest and your left hand up shoulder length with your left shoulder... hope that makes sense the way i said that
I used a really strange judo stance, back when I took it. I'd put my right hand, open palm facing opponent, at around 10:00 - 11:00, and my left hand palm facing opponent, at around 4:00 - 5:00. That was mostly for counter-grappling, and throwing them off guard. Nothing I'd really trust in a real fight.
in a street fight? i immediately assume the crane stance...wait for a look of confusion, and go for a double leg.
