In Combat, Self Defense Is A Matter Of Timing

It's something that most street fighters learn from experience in combat: self defense isn't just a matter of blocks and footwork

. Timing is the single most critical factor -- both before and during an attack. But timing isn't just a matter of 'when', it's a matter of 'where' as well.

The first element of timing is the ability to time your opponent's aggressive moves. Hand to hand combat training consists in large part of learning to respond to an opponent's motions with complimentary motions -- meaning that you attack him as he attacks you. The precise method of counterattack varies widely depending on your spatial relationship, of course, but the ferocity and dedication with which you must counterattack does not - in combat, self defense means fully committed counterstrikes.

Optimally, just as the opponent has transferred his balance toward us and literally put his weight behind the blow, we can launch our counterattack. That way, our counter reaches him just as he has passed the center point of his balance, and our attack lands with our power and weight meeting his power and weight in a concentrated, vulnerable area. Thus, his aggression is turned against him, and powers our counterattack even as his attack misses us.

The second element of timing is positioning: proper angles of attack, deflection, and body movement. Even if you know exactly when and how your opponent will attack, that knowledge is useless if you can't get in the right position to launch the counterstrike. In the vast majority of combat, self defense is best launched from a forty-five degree angle from your opponent's centerline. This angle makes it easy to deflect his attacks and hard for him to deflect your counters.

Before a counterattack, pay attention to the opponent's positioning -- how is he standing? How is his weight distributed? Where are his hands and arms? If you have the hand to hand combat training necessary to make these evaluations on an instantaneous basis, you will be able to easily discern which counterattack will end the fight the most effectively.

The third element of timing is distance, or more accurately distance-to-target. Most fights are "to the pain", so to speak, so choosing a target is simply a matter of picking the least-easily defended weak point. That doesn't always mean the most exposed, however, because as the enemy attacks, the distance between the two of you shifts, and what seemed exposed less than a second ago can suddenly become entirely too close for a decent attack.

By being aware of multiple weak points and tracking them at the enemy attacks, we can choose the one that will take the least effort to attack. That prevents overextension and conserves energy at the same time.

Strive to explore these elements of combat self defense while you are sparring, and you'll begin to see what a profound impact timing has on the outcome of a fight, and why the masters frequently say 'the first to attack loses'.

by: Bruce Strong

POST COMMENT

The Best Two Self Defense Tactics You Already Know Military Self Defense - Mcmap 8 Years Later Find Out Why Self Storage Facilities In San Antonio Have Become So Popular Transformational Power of Self Hypnosis Techniques Hopkins Self Storage: No More Storage Woes How to Play FarmVille - Beginner's Guide 3 Common Misperceptions About Self Defense Training Choosing The Best Self Defense Videos For You Everything I Need To Know In Life, I Learned From A Self Defense Video Managing Yourself The Art Of Self-healing Beginners Guide To Tv Castings And Film Castings Beginners Guide to Fly Tying