Todays Quote: Hock on Finishing the Fight

"There Must be 50 Ways to Leave Your Fighter" (with apologies to Paul Simon)

There are actually not that many in terms of concept. There must be 5 ways to "win," or to "finish" a fight, whether soldier, citizen, security or cop.

1) You leave. You escape from the opponent (hopefully using the "Orderly Retreat" concept)

2) He leaves. You use threats, demands and actions to make the opponent surrender and/or desists and leaves.

3) He stays. You inflect less-than-lethal injury upon the opponent. Injure and/or diminish to a degree that
the opponent stops fighting and chasing you.

4) You and he both stay. You control arrest, contain and restrain. You capture and escort the opponent. Or, you detain/capture the opponent and await the proper authorities.

5) He dies. Lethal methods. We fight criminals and enemy soldiers. Sometimes we kill them.

- Hock Hochheim's March 6, 2008 blog entry

Pretty brilliant, no?

Boxing with the Dojo Rat

No, not me - I'm too smart for that! It's interesting that DR has started a series of good video on boxing technique. Check out his current posts, Jab-Cross-Hook Drill, and Jab-Hook Combo, with the promise of more to come. It's interesting to watch the perspective of guys who I know have studied "hard styles," but seem to have more of an internal martial arts perspective post and talk about boxing, one of the more well-known Western hard styles.

Check them out on Dojo Rat's site, but take some time to head over to YouTube and check out the Dojo Rat channel where you can see lots of great instructional video. Then head back to TDA Training, of course!

For more information:

TDA Boxing Category
TDA Instructional Category

How many five year old children you could fight at once?

I know, I know. This has been done before, but I was on the site and had to take the quiz.

27

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Technical note - cannot comment in Firefox with Blogger

I've been trying to reply to a bunch of reader comments in the last couple of days, have seemingly posted my replies and comments, and, after clicking the post button, no comment is evident.

Tonight, I did some basic troubleshooting, and found that I can comment just fine when using Internet Explorer 7, but my Firefox 3 won't let me.

Notice that the Firefox example (on the left) has a "Select profile" choice as default in the "Comment as:" field, whereas the IE window (on the right) has my Google profile already loaded as the default. The login condition is the same in both browsers - I am logged into my Blogger/Google account.

Weird! This is the first instance I have found where something works in IE and doesn't in Firefox, which I have grown to prefer. Sorry for the late replies to comments.

Technorati Tags: Firefox,Blogger,Internet Explorer

Clash - the Nature of Combat

Pat commented to yesterday's post (Boxing Combinations Revisited) by shamelessly plugging his post (Boxing and Aikido), which was inspired by an older post here at TDA, The Three Cs of Sparring: Offense and Defense - repost. Confused? As I reread my own post, then Pat's, I reflected on the nature of fighting, and all combat, as being composed of:

1. Approach: Closing with the enemy (getting into range), whether with artillery, rifles, pistols, impact weapons, blades, or hands and feet. This is the point at which a risk is taken. Who moves first? Is it where you think? Who has the advantage of surprise, high ground (reach), longer range weapon, or speed?
2. The clash of bodies, transfer of energy via weapon or fist, with damage done, energy expended, then...
3. Clearing the engagement, meaning moving back out of range or danger. Clearing properly means you break off the fight when it's advantageous to you, and are not exposed to more danger.

In other words, all conflict is composed of a series of clashes, and he who wins is he who gets in and out safely. It may take different means, but the ends should be the same - stay alive!

Pat properly compares the strikes and movement of boxing with the footwork, techniques, and tactics of Aikido not by contrasting them, but by noting the similarities of the strategies involved.

Look at your fighting or combat system in the same way. How can I get close, damage without absorbing damage, then get back out safely? Adapt your ideas to winning.

Finally, look at how avoiding conflict is the best way to overcome it.

Technorati Tags: Conflict,conflict resolution,nonviolence

Boxing Combinations Revisited

Some of the comments on the post, "Reliable boxing combinations," made me want to revisit it. Specifically:

Anonymous said...

"Not sure about 1.4.3 Rear upper cut to to long"

In this case, the combination, "1,4,3" is a lead jab, rear-uppercut, then lead hook. The reason it works for me is that I like to use it against those who slip - not as a good offensive combination, but as a counter to a good defensive fighter who slips to the inside or outside versus my jab. By jabbing early and often, you can gauge the skill level and habits of your opponent. From there, build you counters and offensive combinations, much the same way you lead an opponent in chess to make a fatal error. [See illustration of the inside slip leaving you vulnerable.]

Good point about it taking too long as an offensive lead punch - same is true of almost any rear hand punch.
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markstraining.com said...
"1,3,3. Has to be one of my favourite combinations. I find the low to high hooks flow so well. I would add a 2 (rear straight) before the first hook though."

No doubt, the 1-2-3 (jab, rear-cross/straight, then lead hook) is one of the all-time best (perhaps the best) combinations of all time. When the 1-2 or 1-2-3 is going to work is when the opponent parries or leans back from the jab, or take a short step backward, staying in range of the rear straight punch. If he slips or blocks the straight, you've closed the gap for the hook to be effective, and his guard is tightened, leaving the sides of the head or body open.

The 1-3-3 is great when you close the gap with the lead right off the bat (with the jab). You're too close for a straight right, and have already occupied the rear (right, in most cases) hand, and can score with your body hook, bringing down the elbows for the high hook.

For a video example of the 1-3, please see this below. I couldn't find one with 1-3-3 - sorry.

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Anonymous said...
"What about the right hook?? I know its neglected, but shouldn't be forgotten."
Paul

One of our recent commenters mentioned that the right hook is a good in-fighting technique. It's true, but always dangerous to throw a body or head hook, however, due to the openings it creates, without setting it up. I like the overhand, or even uppercut, as you can keep a tighter guard. It can work, though...

To all, thanks for the comments, and keep 'em coming!

A final point is that all of these techniques work very well (with some modification) as open-hand techniques. Try them.

See also:

TDA Boxing Punch Numbering System
TDA Today's TDA Tip: Creative combinations
TDA Which Way Do You Slip the Lead?
TDA Todays TDA Tip: Defensive Mastery Sets Up Counters
TDA Video: Setting up the Hook Punch
TDA How to Create an Opening: 101
Dojo Rat Jab-Hook Combo

Still alive

Thanks to our many readers for following via syndication (RSS), email subscription, blogroll, or just clicking over here to check it. We are still alive, and I am working on some changes that I think you'll like.

To those friends whom I have polled for advice on the direction of this site, thank you for your opinions and friendship. Any ideas for changes, please feel free to comment below, or drop me an email at tdatraining at gmail.com.

Thanks again!

--

Nathan Teodoro

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