Paying Attention

[Dana Sheets]

One thing I've noticed of late is that many many students are paying attention to the wrong thing when they work in partnered movements. They trying to figure out what attack is coming instead of paying attention to all the triggers that let them know an attack is coming.

This is, to me, level 2.

Obviously at level 1 you need to get your body coordinated. You've got to convince your legs, torso, and arms to all agree to move as a group. That takes some time. For some it will take them well through brown belt to get it all together. However after you're able to do that the study of movement in partner sets should be at least 75% dedicated to studying your attacker.

How do you know they're about to go?
Did you see how their weight transferred as they moved?
Did you see how their weight shifted into the follow up?
Were you able to tell how quickly they'd be able to close by how much bend they had in their legs before they launched?

This is one reason for the defender to start partnered sets standing relaxed instead of standing in a fighting posture. This way you rehearse a situation where the bad guy closes the gap and gets a headstart - and you have to play catchup. As students advance the distance between the attacker and the defender can be decreased.

One step training allows you to focus your attention on the instant before the attack and slowly teach your mind/body to react mindlessly to the 10,000 little bits of information that will clue you into the oncoming attack.

This is a process that is begun consciously and explicity for those of us not blessed with this innate knowledge. With continued rehearsal over time we can begin to train the brain to have automaticity in gathering and processing this information and move towards "thoughtless" or implicit and natural reactions.

At some day (still in my future) you'll be more likely to know what kind of attack is coming because you're finally aware that an attack coming.

[MikeK]

Great post Dana. I do a lot of partner work and a good part is reading when he is about to go. One guy who trained with us thought I was cheating because sometimes my partner hadn't moved before I went in. I totally agree about standing relaxed and not in a fighting stance. The other thing that should also be worked on with a partner is for the attacker to learn to telegraph as little as possible. Reading is something that IMO should be taught very early. I know it's helped me.

[Dana Sheets]

Hi Mike,

You know I've thought lots recently about the concept of telegraphing and I've pretty much come to the conclusion that for the most part this is an area of concern in sport fighting more than self-defense.

It is a fun game to play in the dojo but in the self-defense realm is seems that things happen way too quickly to be worried about telegraphing anything. Also I think that if newer students worry too much about not telegraphing they're likely to tighten up and hold themselves still instead of just being relaxed and natural.

So I guess I'd put that skill at the end - kind of like icing on the cake.

[MikeK]

I'll disagree about only being used for sport or being icing. My jujutsu instructor had us work from the get go a drill where one person held a focus pad and had to move it when he saw motion, the hitter had to keep his hands down and try to hit the pad without telegraphing. Rather than reinforcing being tense the person learns fast that you need to be relaxed not to telegraph, and you need to be relaxed to read the movement. Not telegraphing is important during self defense to get that all important first hit in. Telegraphing also includes stance and how you hold yourself. I like the good old Jack Benny guard, it's easy to throw a non-telegraphing first strike from it.

[MikeK]

Some reading practice. Read both parties. What is the body language saying.

[2Green]

The guy in the cap, on the left, is "saying" ..."I'm ready, you're not!"

His hands are up and halfway to the loudmouth already. Loudmouth's arms are down. If I were a layman, I would consider the leftmost person to be making a peaceful, conciliatory gesture.
However, knowing Uechi as I do, I can plainly see that he is a millisecond away from ability to launch a preemptive, finishing strike to Loudmouth, and with both hands BTW.

NM

[MikeK]