Key to Win

In the martial arts, the chronic losers are the people who rely solely on size, speed and strenght to defeat their opponent. As important as those physical attribute are, the key to winning also depends on intelligence, courage and decisiveness. While many fighters strive to improve their physical skills, few ever try to change their fighting style by enhancing those intangible assets.

To be a great fighter, you must be innovative. Even if means turning your traditional techniques inside out. You need to constantly redefine your martial art.

Counterattack, Stepping-In, and Rear-foot Maneuver are the three drills needed to prevail, especially the Stepping-In movement. For example, to develop forward momentum with your punching and kicking combinations, try taking three-to four-inch steps toward your opponent with each strike. Never approach your target and stand still. It is better to force him to back up and place his weight on his heels, thus weakening his position. It is a proactive approach to fighting.

Summarized by webmaster on 17th. October '00.

Taekwondo Shuffle Kicks

The key to executing a shuffle kick lies in the foot shuffle, which is a simple movement that temporarily switches your rear foot to the lead position using a quick twisting step. To better understand it, assume a left foot forward stance. Because your opponent will probably expect you to execute a powerful roundhouse kick with your right (rear) foot, you can confuse him by rapidly shuffling into a right foot forward stance and immediately blasting a left-leg roundhouse kick into his abdomen. Your actions will throw off his defensive positioning and timing.

When you start shuffle, your opponent has no idea which leg you will eventually use to execute the kick because both your legs move at the same time. Once you have repositioned your feet, the kick comes from your rear leg in much the same manner that you would execute a regular rear-leg kick without changing your stance. However, a shuffle kick requires much less chambering than does a traditional kick, and that means you can launch the technique directly from the floor thus saving precious time. The kick succeeds because of its speed and the element of surprise.

Summarized by webmaster on 1st. July '00.

Movement

Body movement may be a solution when you are facing a combat. As you are facing your opponent, you can vary your distance by closer to him or away from him. When you are varying the distance, you are changing your opponent's attacking range, or offseting his attacking alignment. Either way, you cause him to hesitate to fire an attack on you because you disrupt his attacking timing and distance.

Another way to confuse your opponent's alignment is to change your angle presented to your opponent by moving your position from side to side. By moving your body laterally, your opponent finds hard to land a multiple attack on you.

By varying your distance and angle to your opponent, you can try to neutralize your opponent's strongest techniques. For instance, if your opponent is strong in right rear-leg round kick, you should move to your right to neutralize your opponent's kicking power. Even your opponent may still hit you, because of your movement you will have disoriented him and kept him from executing his favorite attack in his attacking range.

Summarized by webmaster on 18th. June '00.