Uechi-Ryu.com

This is were the tactical really can affect your practice

Soft moving hard on application is a great explanation.

I prefer to think of stances not as poses but footwork, and everythings transitional.

I combine a natural stance with talking with my hands , seems the best timing mobility for me when watching others.

pivoting sliding and having base in motion. Gaining positonal advantage and as obvious as it sounds always commiting going in the direction/entry your heading.

Vans link is great , I see everything mentioned in uechi at least the way i approach it , its always good to see similar conclusions reached by differing people, lots of solid material.

In the last club that I attended, a wing chun club the stance was used to generate power. It doesn't look a lot like what folks normally assume a WC punch to look like but it is very effective close in. Here is a clip from the club, you maybe able to seee some of the basics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... eFzLUWSC_4

we should always assume 2 things in any potential confrontation, one, there is a weapon and two, there is more than one aggressor. Hence the need to hard flank to 3 or 9 keeping focus on the known and draw anyone who was behind, into your peripheral vision thus avoiding the need to break visual on the guy in front by looking behind in order to check your 6. Doing so would obviously create an opportunity that could be taken advantage of. Below I have constructed some rather crude drawings to depict the scenario that we were to practice as our first practical drill. The figures in the diagrams depict an overhead or bird’s eye view of a potential pincer approach set up. The dark headed figure depicts the potential target and the 2 lightheaded figures depict 2 street criminals worked together.

Fig 1. Shows left side aggressor (leaning against a wall) whilst acting as a scout, who then gives the signal to his mate (top right) as the potential target passes to initiate proceedings by engaging the target with a ruse,

Fig 2. Shows the conclusion of a successful pincer approach, with the aggressor from behind now about to employ an ambush attack or threat of attack. From here both may join in the assault, or the first aggressor may now act as a scout for the police or some similar disturbance.

SN recommended that we all become students of human behavioral kinesis via the study of such footage and of people around us. Certain subtle, innate cues are often exhibited in a cluster just before the physical assault itself.

Understanding and recognizing them offers us a counter to the all too frequent victim statement; ‘’it all happened so fast.’’ There are 2 major factors regarding the difference between training in the dojo and reality in the street.

These are; Unequal initiative: not pre-decided equal initiative via the compliance that you’d find in the dojo. Here the aggressor is aiming to take the initiative ahead of you via either an ambush of some kind of ruse. Being first, or taking and seizing the initiative in any confrontation is a HUGE advantage, hence the need for us to be pre-emptive.

The second major factor is Un-proportional armament: If he has a weapon out and is ready to use it armed with intention and I, have to now default to empty hand skills, then again this is a HUGE advantage to the criminal.

We as civilians must have a criteria for Pre-emption or for taking the said initiative. This comes via the information obtained and from knowing and recognizing certain pre-attack indicators exhibited by our potential aggressor.

This may indeed, need to be related to a court of law in an attempt to help justify our actions post-event. SN proceeded to gives us 3 cues that are often performed in a cluster, along with one stand alone cue that would indicate attack is imminent.

*Grooming Cue: this is demonstrated as some kind of gesture towards the face, such as scratching the nose or ear, covering the mouth or running the hand through the hair. All of which could indicate deception.

* Glance to the flank/rear: looking behind or to the left and/or right indicates looking around to see if the coast is clear. People don’t just look around for no apparent reason.

* Definitive weight shift: This could be subtle or very gross motor in action. Weight is shifted in order to gain traction just before launching an attack.


The final stand-alone cue is any kind of hand movement towards the waistband area. This indicates an attempt to access a weapon, as this is the most common carry place along with pockets and inside a coat etc. Up the sleeves or down the sock or boot is more common to the carry of contra-band.

Of course such behavior can integrate together in a cluster real fast if not simultaneously, hence the need to avoid fixating on what is said and observe the cues unfolding. Again its important not to think about what you say, this should be practiced and automatic so that you can focus on the cues.

For some reason the hands up while talking and slightly moving those hands distracts the guy and he is both following your slight hand movements and listening at the same time. I've had success with this many times at my job. I usually blade to the side and watch for pre-contact cues while talking the person down. Having a plan keeps my anxiety from rising and the angry patient tends to mirror my relaxed, matter of fact manner and usually calms down. I'd assume this can work for those in situations where a pre-emptive strike is an option.