Everybody wants faster reaction times. The best fighters in the world make their opponents look like they're in slow motion, and a large part of that is having the ability to choose exactly the right technique at exactly the right time. Those reflexes aren't magic. They can be trained, drilled, improved. Today we're going to cover a great reaction time drill that'll teach … [Read more...]
Pressure Points for Self Defense
In more than 35 years of training I've been hurt many times by pressure point attacks. Instructors and training partners have poked, prodded, gouged, and pressed their way into many nerve clusters all over my body. These pressure point attacks hurt like hell when someone shows them to you, but you'd be a fool to rely on them in a real fight. Here's a video in which I … [Read more...]
Martial Art Ranges for Fighting
There are many different ways to classify martial arts ranges, but one relatively simple method way to divide all combat up into 5 distances... Projectile range (guns, javelins, arrows, thrown rocks, etc.) Handheld weapons range (sticks, swords, handheld spears, knives, clubs, etc.) Striking range (punches, kicks, elbows, knees, headbutts, etc.) Clinching range … [Read more...]
How to Train Eye Gouges, Throat Grabs and Groin Strikes
OK, I get it: on the street you don't want to be limited by the rules of a sport. On the street you may need to pull hair, gouge the eyes, kick the groin, grab the throat, and if all that doesn't work then you'll need to start fighting dirty ;) But a martial art is more than just the techniques that you find in that martial art; a martial art also includes methods for … [Read more...]
Can Karate Kata Be Applied On The Street?
I've been pretty vocal about the uselessness of kata and forms, especially when they're not combined with partner drills, pressure training and actual sparring. And this has created a LOT of hurt feelings and pushback! In fact the video I put on Youtube called "Why Kung Fu Forms and Karate Kata are (Mostly) Pretty Useless!" has about one dislike for every 3 likes, which … [Read more...]
How to Make the Jab More Powerful
Many great boxing coaches and trainers consider the jab the most important punch in boxing. The jab is a non-commital punch used as range finder, a defensive tool, a probe for finding openings and a way to set up your strongest shots. It's a fast and non-telegraphic, but the problem is that the conventional jab is not very powerful. Sure, it'll still chip teeth, bloody … [Read more...]
19 Ways to Counter the Right Cross, and the ‘Triple H Formula’ for Punch Defense
The right cross to the face is one of the most powerful attacks in boxing and kickboxing. It's relatively non-telegraphic but still has the power to knock you out and leave you drooling on the floor. So you absolutely need to know multiple effective counters to the right cross. Boxing and kickboxing coach Ritchie Yip has a formula for defending punches that I would … [Read more...]
A Super-Simple 3 Part Formula for Defense in Standup Sparring
Standup sparring can be really overwhelming sometimes, especially if you're new at it. There are punches and kicks flying at you from every direction and every angle. There's so much to keep track of, and so many things you need to do, that you don't even know where to start. Fortunately there are ways to simplify the situation and cut down on the number of decisions you … [Read more...]
Muay Thai Clinch in a Streetfight
Two of the most powerful strikes you can throw in a streetfight at close range come from the Muay Thai clinch. The first big weapon from the clinch is the knee. The knee strike the one of the most powerful shots you can throw and uses a relatively tough part of your own body. (Unlike a punch, you're not usually going to break your own bones throwing a knee strike in a … [Read more...]
The Power of the Front Kick!
The front kick is one of the very first kicks most people learn in the martial arts. And that’s for good reason: it’s effective but also not that tough to learn - it’s the low hanging fruit of the kicking world. But it can also be a very, very sophisticated technique; just look at how professional Thai boxers use it to gauge distance, control distance, set up attacks, … [Read more...]
How to Take a Punch in 3 Steps
Getting punched in the head is always a bad thing. But - if you know what to do - then it doesn't necessarily need to be a fight ending, knockout inducing catastrophe. Of course you should try to dodge, deflect, block or evade a punch that's coming your way. But things don't always go according to plan. In a sparring match or a real fight sometimes you're just going to … [Read more...]
How Different Martial Arts Exhale While Striking
It’s amazing how many different martial arts use a grunt/yell when they strike. Of course many systems of karate has their Kiai, which is expressed as a ‘Heeaht’, ‘Hyah’ or ‘Aiight!’ Very similar vocalisations are used in traditional Japanese ju-jutsu (like in the first 12 seconds of this Armbar vs a Knife video on Youtube). And if you’ve watched or trained a lot of … [Read more...]
Escaping One of the Worst Positions for Ground and Pound
The ground and pound strategy in MMA is one that relies on getting on top, staying on top, and then beating your opponent into unconsciousness with your fists, forearms and elbows. In other words, it's a slightly more sophisticated version of your basic street fighter's approach to groundfighting... One of the worst ground and pound positions is the so-called 'giftwrap' … [Read more...]
Karate Myth: Can You Kill a Man by Driving his Nasal Cartilage into his Brain!
It's absolutely amazing how persistent the myth of "drive a man's nose cartilage up into his brain to kill him" myth is! Almost EVERYONE has heard this story at some point, even people who don't practise martial arts. Belief in this 'technique' has been fostered by Hollywood, with both Bruce Willis in The Last Boy Scout and Nicolas Cage in Con Air lethally driving a man's … [Read more...]
The Dreaded Double Ear Slap
The double ear slap has long been a staple of combatives training. The official story, related by many self defense experts, is that if you slap both of your opponent's ears at the same time then, no matter his size, his eardrums will explode and he'll drop to the ground in a shrivelled heap. Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? Let's take a look at the best data we … [Read more...]