A DEFAULT DEFENSIVE POSITION
I think it is vital in any fighting system to have
a default defensive position you can use when coming
under a surprise attack. By a surprise attack I mean
one where you have suffered a contact or multiple
contacts and you have completely been caught unawares.
The attack has happened quickly and unexpectedly and
you will not have the luxury of being able to block
and counter or to exit. We need this position to protect
ourselves and to enable us to get a breathe back,
take in and assimilate the information we are being
bombarded with before we make a decision to either
attack or flee.
When we think about a surprise attack we often think
that this would spell an immediate knock out. However,
even when the attacker has the luxury of the defender
standing there half asleep with a relaxed open jaw,
it doesn’t always result in unconsciousness.
Either the attacker cannot punch for buttons, they
miss the jaw or they may be kicking or grabbing. In
the majority of assaults alcohol will be a factor
therefore, an attacker’s skills may be limited.
We are envisaging a situation where we have remained
conscious after the initial blow or blows have been
struck. We have not had the opportunity to adopt any
realistic defensive stance prior to the contact as
the barrage has begun and you have been caught unawares.
The position we adopt under these circumstances should
be one that allows us to specifically cover the head
and face while at the same time allowing us some degree
of vision. Remember, that we are not looking to be
in this position for any length of time. It is to
simply allow us maximum protection whilst we regain
our composure and look to attack or exit.
I have shown some examples of various default defensive
positions you could consider below.
I should point out that in training and adopting
a default position, we are in no way overlooking prevention
or awareness. These are the core concepts of any good
system and one that I look to train regularly. I am
simply pointing out that unless you live your life
in a state of preparedness and looking for potential
trouble every second of the day then there will be
times when your guard is down. We as human beings
couldn’t possibly live our whole lives in a
high state of readiness as we would burn out. So we
need to isolate this concept and accept that we as
human beings will make mistakes and the result is
that we need a default position.
In order to train this effectively, you need to experiment
with various positions and find out what works for
you as an individual. I certainly find some more user
friendly and a lot more comfortable than others. It
all comes down to your own particular preference and
body type.
Once we have established the position you want to
adopt you need to look at being able to get into it
as fast as possible. You could have your training
partner give a verbal command and then you assume
the position. After you have developed this verbal
stimulus have your training partner put gloves on
and attack you lightly firstly from the default position
so you can get used to the feeling of contact and
you can also identify any areas of weakness in your
position. Then we need to look at having our hands
buy our sides and have a few shots thrown and then
responding by getting into the position. Please bear
in mind safety in training and don’t be looking
to knock out your training partner in the early stages.
After you have successfully managed to take a couple
of shots and react accordingly we need to take the
next step. You can stand with your eyes closed and
have your partner attack you with head and body shots
from a variety of angles, and you have to react by
opening your eyes and taking your default position.
Once you have mastered this you need to look at how
you can realistically counter attack from that position.
You should focus on building up your attacking tools
from that position. You need to experiment with close
and medium range tools. Ensure that you are using
the correct tool against the attacker in the appropriate
range. You could also have the attacker then try and
take you to the ground to ensure completeness in your
training. For example you should experiment with defending
and then imagine the threat is neutralised by a third
party. You could defend and then exit, or defend and
fight back. Then defend and fight back against multiple
opponents. You are only limited by your own imagination.
If you are in the police or security services then
after an initial counter attack you should look too
deploying your weapon quickly or look to control and
restrain.
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