First up, it’s great to see so many people again at the club after its restart.
I have been doing plenty of thinking about martial arts during the break, on various subjects. Here is something to think about when doing partner work (when that’s allowed again). The words are a little changed from before but the philosophy remains the same, based upon the samurai approach of winning by not losing.
AVOID – Always move, preferably deciding where to go before your opponent attacks. Remember, “Wherever you are you’re in the wrong place so move.” Sensei Alan Ruddock, aikido.
BLOCK – Always block. It’s an insurance policy in case avoiding isn’t enough. Remember the winning by not losing philosophy puts defense as the top priority.
COUNTER – This could be a strike or it could be a lock or a take down. The important thing is to do something quickly to stop your opponent launching another attack.
DISABLE – Take control of the situation and your opponent and ensure they are no longer a threat to you. This could perhaps be a further strike, lock or strangle. Whatever you do, it needs to end the fight either making sure your opponent can no longer physically attack again or perhaps calm down and know that they can’t win.
ESCAPE – At the end of the fight you need to be able to walk away. You need to plan your exit. This will cover keeping watch for any further attackers which may well have an influence on what you do when trying to disable your opponent.
Best wishes
Stacy
