Concealing Kicking Intentions

[Maximus]

Concealing Kicking Intentions

To utilize a kicking attack without first distracting or off-setting the opponent invites a good possibility that the opponent can counter your action. To reduce the chances of such a counter, certain methods of distraction can be used. These distractions can be:

1. Visual
2. Auditory
3. Combined

Examples:

1. Toss a finger jab toward opponent’s face.
2. Finger flick or finger fan to cover in between kicks being used in combination.
3. One hand extends, one hand slaps thigh.
4. Clapping hands together.
5. Extending rear hand outward, upward, downward, etc.
6. Extending lead hand upward and forward.
7. Quickly glancing downward, up, left, right.
8. Sink body low then kick high.
9. Raise body high then kick low.

The use of the finger flick, finger fan motions are generally used as distractions between kicks being thrown in combination in order to help off-set the possibility of the opponent’s countering you while in the midst of your attack. If you use these finger flicks, make sure that you use them intentionally and not as a telegraphic motion. Every action MUST have a purpose.

-Maximus

[warrior-scholar]

"Every action MUST have a purpose."

Without looking for a Zen revelation in this statement, I began to ponder my everyday body movement. It is amazing how much extraneous and idiosyncratic motion an individual performs. The difficult part about realizing your statement comes at this mundane, subconscious level. There are actions I am not even aware of when shadow boxing and the like. Solution: Must I then become ultra-aware of my movements for the present in order to hone my skill for the future? How carefully should I scrutinize my actions? It seems that videotaping myself in order to observe all of these intentional and unintentional nuances would help. Suggestions?

Warrior-Scholar

[Maximus]

I highly recommed the use of a video camera to critique your movements and performance. Please keep in mind that you will ALWAYS have some idiosyncratic motion. These are the sources of our own style. Just don't over analyze yourself and become lost in the performance of DOING the motion rather than the INTENTION of your motion. In other words, our mental focus should be on the result of the strike rather than the path it may follow.

I also recommend limited sparring. Decide with your partner what strike you will each perform (choose only one) and for three minutes spar with that weapon only. In this way your partner will always know what type of strike is coming. The challenge then becomes not letting him know when or where!

Also, explore using your idiosyncratic motion to deceive your opponent.

-Maximus