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Fighting Strategies - Ensuring Your Victory by J. Richard Kirkham

There are so many fighting strategies used in martial arts and self-defense. All have their weaknesses and strengths. A good understanding of these weaknesses and strengths will help to ensure your victory and cut your injuries due to losses....

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Fighting Strategies - Ensuring Your Victory

There are so many fighting strategies used in martial arts and self-defense. All have their weaknesses and strengths. A good understanding of these weaknesses and strengths will help to ensure your victory and cut your injuries due to losses. I'm going to list just a few fighting strategies in this martial arts article and hopefully get some feedback from my readers to add even more ideas and strategies for both martial arts and self-defense practitioners.

Blitz

Blitzing is a quick attack from the onset of the self-defense situation or match.

It has the advantage of being fast and, if you catch your attacker or opponent by surprise with your ferocity, you'll win a quick victory. I've seen many fights where one guy hits first then just keeps hitting. It also has the advantage of not giving your opponent any chance to prepare his/her defenses by determining your fighting style.


Blitzing has the disadvantage of not giving you a chance to get to know your opponent's strengths and weaknesses. For example a good counter-fighter may be able to turn that blitz around to his/her advantage sinc the blitzer is not necessarily thinking about defense. In one of the few tournaments I attended a man tried to rapid fire reverse punches to my ribs. Due to a drill I had developed and listed in my book Bringing The Martial Out from Within called Continuous Blocking Drill I was able to block his attacks while looking for an opening for which I scored.

Counter-Attacking

This is by far my favorite fighting strategy. I'll even create a fake or feint to get my opponent to attack a certain way in order to increase the chances of a successful defense and counter-attack. I like counter-attacking since I can take advantage of my opponent's commitment and the opening he/she creates due to this commitment. I also like counter-attacking since it gives me time to see my opponent's fighting strategy before committing myself.

The disadvantage of counter-attacking is it can be a slow process. Especially if both you and your opponent are counter-fighters. I've lowered my hand slightly to create and opening and gotten hit by tournament fighters and ended up looking like an idiot. The guys I train with at Honolulu Sparring Club are fast so counter-attacking can definitely backfire on you. In multiple-attack situations the value is limited to perhaps the first movement then you're going to have to commit to a fast multiple-attack strategy.

Playing The Opponent's Game

I know, most of us have a philosophy to NOT play our opponent's game, but a few people I've met and heard from state they'll find figure out their opponent's strategy and beat them at their own game. This does have a psychological advantage which could cause your opponent to question his her abilities and give you an advantage throughout the rest of the bout or confrontation.

Do I really need to list the disadvantages here? A quick and easy victory for your opponent by playing his/her game. You need to be a very well rounded fighter in order to utilize this strategy. Many people that have only trained in one art or have not gone outside their own school to train will not have enough experience to make this work for them (now I'm gonna here it).

High Low

Another favorite strategy of mine. The more I can get my opponent to move his/her hands the better the chance I have of striking him/her. How many times have you done the low to high roundhouse kick or the frontkick to the knee and jab to the nose?

If you're not careful this could become a pattern and a noticeable weakness in your strategy. Many years ago I noticed one of my students following this pattern like it was written in stone. I apologized to him for allowing him to think this was the only method or strategy he should incorporate and went through some alternative fighting strategies with him.

Multiple Attacks to The Same Area

Quite often I'll see someone block a strike, then completely leave that area open thinking the attack to that area is over. Thus the effectiveness of the double jab in boxing for example. This works well for an opponent who fights with his/her hands near his/her chest. The opponent will raise his/her hand to block your backfist for example, then lower it back to his/her chest. Executing another backfist to the same area will often work under those circumstances.

The disadvantage of attacking the same area multiple times is an experienced fighters hands are already there. Thanks to variations in an Offense Defense Drill I develped I mention in my book Bringing The Martial Artist Out from Within, my hands usually remain near my attacked area giving me the opportunity to utilize one of my favorite fighting strategies, counter-attacking.

Conclusion

I noted some martial artists and self-defense practitioners stick with a single fighting strategy ignoring the benefits of other fighting strategies at their disposal. The words I can't or not comfortable are often heard. To these martial artists I would like to humblely offer this advise : Whatever you're not comfortable with, do it until you are comfortable with it.

Train hard and live
Aloha
Rick
Sensei J. Richard Kirkham B.Sc.

Related Articles Books and Videos

Fakes and Feints

Common Telegraphs - Reading Your Opponent's Intentions by Rick Kirkham

How to Block Better

Slipping and Ducking

Dirty Fighting

Bringing the Martial Artist Out from Within has good self-defense drills from all angles

Self-Defense and Over Coming Fear Martial Arts Video DVD and Downloadable Video by Sensei J. Richard Kirkham B.Sc. Contains drills from all different angles




About the Author

Rylan (formally Hunter) Jan and Rick Kirkham at their favorite restaurant The Ocean Terrace
J. Richard Kirkham is a dual certified teacher specializing in alternative teaching methods and a martial arts instructor. He currently resides in Honolulu with his wife Jan and son Rylan.

He's the author of Bringing The Martial Artist Out from Within
http://kirkhamsebooks.com/MartialArts/BringingTheMartialArtistOutfrombykirkham.htm and Self-Defense and Over-Coming Fear downloadable video http://kirkhamsebooks.com/MartialArts/Martial_Arts_Videos/SelfDefenseAndFearMartialArtsVideo.htm

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