Today I want
to talk a bit out blocking and striking, of how we learn techniques and how the
techniques should actually be performed. When we start to learn a technique we
tend to break it down into steps, block, strike, lock, takedown, strike to
finish or something similar depending on the technique.
Let’s focus
on the first part, the initial block and strike. Your attacker is mad at you,
why who knows. Because he is mad at you, his attacks will aggressive, hard and
he likely has plans for more than one. No surprise there, so how does this
relate to how we learn to block and counter attack?
If we were
to execute a block then a strike similar to how we started learning them in
class (this is true to almost any martial art) it will not work. The first
attack will be blocked but we will get hit by the second attack before we can
get our counter attack off. So how do we fix this?
Our blocks
need to be strikes and/or we need to block and strike at the same time. Take a
look at the video below for a better look at what I am referring to.
There are a
number of good reasons to strike as you block or with your block:
-
Your counter attack will be far more effective.
-
More power. They are moving towards you and you
are moving towards them you will have your combined weight and momentum of you
and your attacker behind the hit. (think of two cars hitting head on)
-
Your counter attack is less likely to be
blocked. It’s very hard for your attacker block your attack while he is in the
middle of his attack.
-
Your attacker’s vital areas and soft targets
will be more vulnerable while he is attacking.
In short
don’t block, attack!
A word of
warning if you’re not already employing this concept please be careful. You
WILL generate far more power then you expect so be nice to your training
partner.
Check out
our jiu-jitsu distance
education program for even more on-line videos and instruction.
Cheers,
Jamie Rickard (Sensei)
Head Instructor
Koketsu Kai - Tiger's Den Jiu-jitsu and Grappling
Located at:
The Academy of Martial Arts
851 Princess Street
Kingston, Ontario
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