For now we will stay away from the topic of martial sport vs. martial art and look at training with resistance.
Being able to train or drill or practice your techniques "live" is a very important training tool. Now by "live" I mean:
- There are no preselected techniques (you don't know what your attacker will do)
- There is controlled resistance.
- Techniques to be executed as trained as street self-defence not sport
- As few restrictions or limitations as possible.
In martial arts like the more "Traditional" styles of jiu-jitsu this type of live training can be hard to do. There is sport or combat jiu-jitsu, which brings us closer to the mark, BUT combat or sport jiu-jitsu has many similar restrictions as MMA, sport Karate, etc. which is working against what we want to achieve.
In any self-defence martial art there are many techniques that are just too dangerous to do with speed and power. All competition based martial arts have removed these techniques from their sport side and some have remove them from their art all together.
So how do we keep all or at least most of our techniques and still train with some speed, power and randomness?
Well here is a nice drill that we do in our dojo.
THE SHARK BAIT or CIRCLE DRILL
One person stands in the centre (the shark bait) and the other students (the sharks) surround him/her in a large circle.
One person (the head instructor or a senior student) acts as the coordinator. When they point to a student that student steps forward and attacks the person in the middle with a technique, punch, kick, grab, hold etc.
The person in the centre turns and responds to the attack with a technique of their own. Once the attacker is finished, the person in the centre returns to their original position and facing and a new attacker is selected and attacks with little or know delay.
To be safe we do need some rules or guidelines:
- Techniques need to be carried out with light contact to the body and no contact to the head. (If the student in the centre is more experienced (a high belt level) then the intensity may be increased.
- All people involved must remain in control.
- Start slow at first and restrict the techniques used. As people are more comfortable with the drill more techniques and speed can be added. Remember to telegraph the punches at first, then slowly make them tighter and more real but always in control.
- The attacker need to "respond" to hits / techniques. If your were actually hit with force there there would be a reaction. So when your hit pause for a 1 count before attacking again. If the shark bait is doing their job properly they should have you finished before you can attack again.
- NO GROUND LOCKS! This is a bar fight stay standing when ever possible and get back to your feet ASAP!
- Once an attacker has been "finished" then need to clear the mat as quick as possible"
- If an attacker wants to do a hold or grab on the shark bait, they approach with their hands up (as a friend) then grab or put a hold on the shark bait. Once the attackers hands come down the shark bait is free to act.
- If the shark bait freezes or can't think of a technique remind them to when in doubt hit, hit, hit!
This is a great reaction drill since you have no idea what your attacker will do. I usually limit the attacks to what the shark bait knows how to defend against. With this drill you will quickly figure out what techniques you know well, what your favourite techniques are and what your reaction will be when your mind freezes up or you draw a blank.
While this drill is nothing like stepping into a ring and getting hit for real, it does offer a nearly full array of techniques for your to use and practice.
The essence of real self-defence lays in your ability to think under stress and being able to execute the right techniques for the situation, this drill helps greatly with both.
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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