Protective Arts

Inclusivity is My Trigger Word

in·clu·siv·i·ty/ˌinklo͞oˈsivədē/

The practice or policy of including people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or mental disabilities and members of minority groups.

A paean to exclusivity.

In this milquetoast world we now parade limitations not as obstacles to overcome, but rather as badges of honor that everyone else must accommodate. It was not always thus. A recent example of cream-puffery, Oxford voted to ban clapping as anxiety inducing and encourage ‘jazz hands’ to indicate celebration and approval.[1]

Do not impose your limitations on me! The entire bloody enterprise is about cultivating and aspiring to excellence. We strive to overcome barriers and obstacles. Especially in the context of the martial arts. All are welcome to walk the path but the destination is self mastery and that requires acknowledging limitations with the explicit goal of surpassing them.

Mandatory, legislated or even encouraged inclusion is sheep think: the easiest way to make my line longer is to shorten everyone else’s. We should acknowledge differences in ability to ensure everyone has a clear path to improve and lengthen their line.[2] Stated simply, equal outcomes cannot be legislated.

Back to jazz hands. Sound is powerful. We humans neurologically react fastest to loud sounds: they cause a startle response that bypasses interpretation by the brain. This is the most direct contact we have to an unmitigated experience of reality. That clapping can induce anxiety clearly is hypersensitivity, but that is why we train, to overcome biological limitations.

Overcome the startle response.

While training pistol marksmanship with a good friend, who is a much better shot than I, the instructor noticed my friend blinked on each shot. Although the reflex was not dramatically adverse to his marksmanship, nevertheless it was a limitation. To train away the reflex, we did a simple drill: point the muzzle in a safe direction, and while engaging in general banter and light conversation, simply keep discharging the weapon. Split the attention and keep repeating the action to train through the reaction. It worked.

In any and every area of human performance there are statistical aberrations, and on both ends of the spectrum. Some humans unfortunately will never be able to overcome their genetic inheritance and others will benefit from an ease most can never imagine. Tough shit buttercup – that’s the genetic lottery. We all have limitations, the point is: what are you going to do about it?

Think you have limitations? Many are self-imposed. Consider the following, which demonstrates a level competency and self-control I aspire to:

No flinching!

How hard are you willing to work and how much effort are you prepared to commit to the task of betterment? That is the key question and once you answer it, then you need prove it with action.

Train to be worthy of an elite organization.

And here is the most salient point: exclusivity should be a means to inspire. Elite organizations exist because they are demonstrably better. Not everyone can become a Navy Seal, a brilliant author, a mellifluous musician, or whatever superlative you want to use. (Elite Competition) The point is that pinnacles of achieved excellence are goal posts to strive for and against which we can measure our own progress.

Furthermore, freedom of association necessitates exclusivity. Everyone does not belong everywhere. And privacy means no one has a right to universal access.

Once we mandate inclusivity or dictate membership based solely on statistical or demographic ratios, the enterprise is up. The goal is to strive and transcend. You cannot legislate equality of effort. Effort can only be proven through sustained action. (And the ugly fact is: Pareto distribution shows that 20% of any given population produces 80% of the benefits.) Many will fail and that is the only way to determine those who transcend and excel.

Critical reflection means facing hard truths. You will fail, your actions will not always measure up and at times you will suck.[3] And this is the key test of character: What will you do now?

Surround yourself with people smarter and better than you are is a long-standing maxim of business success. The same should be true of our general associations. Fight the war on excellence. Find a cohort that inspires you to be your best and who support your path of development. No pandering to weakness.

If someone tells me that I’ve hurt their feelings, I say, “I’m still waiting to hear what your point is” [4]

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[1] In a Guardian article, Stephanie Cacioppo, the director of the Brain Dynamics Lab at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, discussed her research into a pill that could help lonely people lessen the pain associated with the emotional state and lessen their fear of socializing with others (the research paper). Brave New World anyone? The sad fact remains that for most afflictions and limitations, the current Western approach is to solve for it with medicine – a technocratic solution – a pill for everything. Marcus Aurelius – where art thou?

[2] The Hidden Brain “Counting Other People’s Blessings” is a good exploration of envy. Envy can be a positive motivator, but is often a vile emotion of self pity or destructive comparisons (thank you Facebook).

[3] Without testing the Dunning-Kruger Effect will run rabid. Let me dilate on that point:

In Ecco Homo, Friedrich Nietzsche labels his early chapters, “Why I am so wise,” “Why I am so clever,” “Why I write such excellent books” in a manner that approaches hubristic self-aggrandizing.

Nietzsche was an excellent classicist and knew the dangers of hubris. So he was writing purposefully to demarcate a break in thought. And history has shown he was not wrong. Nietzsche did in fact know himself – and his mental collapse perhaps is proof that ultimately he knew himself to be all too human.*

In knowing how human he was and in diving the depths of psychology, Nietzsche exemplified the Delphic admonishment to “Know thyself.”

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is gnothi-seauton.jpg — *Gnothi Seauton* – Gk. “Know thyself.”

Know what type of being that you are and recognize your true abilities. This should not lead to a self-deprecating or shrinking confidence, but rather the critical evaluation of your skills and where they stand in relation to others. Testing in a competitive environment was key. The Argives were constantly testing themselves – in the Olympiad, during domestic battles and foreign wars, and in critical debates. In an honor-based world, one’s place was constantly evaluated and positionally predicated on performance.

Without competition, we run the risk of the Dunning-Kruger Effect which is a cognitive bias whereby people who are incompetent are unable to recognize their own incompetence and as a result are likely to confidently believe that they actually are competent. Meta-stupidity.**

Honest training is the only feedback mechanism Aikido has and without honest training the Dunning-Kruger Effect is rabid in the art.

Constant competitiveness has the distinct psychological disadvantage of letting you know exactly where you stand. Hard training is much the same; people avoid it because it is hard and because it reveals weakness and inadequacy.

And here is an important, if ironic, twist. The general advice of “fake it ’till you make it” is sound advice. There is good research that shows if you believe you are faster, you will run faster than your peers. If you know you will survive a gun shot, you will.

I believe it was in the Mag 20 class that Massad Ayoob pointed out that criminals often better survive gun shot wounds because when playing cops and robbers, the ‘good guys’ have been psychologically conditioned to play by the rules and therefore die at a higher rate than the bad guys who were conditioned to break them. The key to surviving is knowing you will.

And thus a fine line between a positive confidence to enhance our ability to perform measured against the delusional belief that we are in fact better than everyone else.

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* Milan Kundera poignantly describes Nietzche’s collapse: “Seeing a horse and a coachman beating it with a whip, Nietzche went up to the horse and, before the coachman’s very eyes, put his arms around the horse’s neck and burst into tears. That took place in 1889, when Nietzsche, too, had removed himself from the world of people. In other words, it was at the time when his mental illness had just erupted. But for that very reason I feel his gesture has broad implications: Nietzsche was trying to apologize to the horse for Descartes” (The Unbearable Lightness of Being).

** Bertrand Russell summed up the situation in an essay from 1933 lamenting the rise of Nazi Germany, The Triumph of Stupdity:

The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.

[4] Christopher Hitchens will probably be best remembered for God is Not Great and his stage debates with various persons of faith. He had earlier polemics that were just as confrontational – calling Mother Teresa a fraud and Princess Diana a socialite of the worst sort – but his erudite journalism and ability to debate intelligently in the public arena remain seminal.

FIVE WAYS OF ATTACK

Aikido as an attack art sounds oxymoronic. That is true only because many critics of Aikido have a moronic understanding of the art. (And one too few of us credibly counter.)

Axiomatically we cannot win by defending and winning is important.

But how does that necessitate an attack art? The polemical turn of phrase is the difference between initiating the attack (that is, being the agressor) and controlling the encounter by means of (counter) attack.

In stealing from the masters, I listed and explored lessons taken from Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do, specifically the Five Methods of Attack:

Single Direct Attack (SDA)
Attack By Combinations (ABC)
Progressive Indirect Attack (PIA)
Attack By Draw (ABD)
Hand immobilization attack (HIA)

Most empty hand arts will focus on SDA as the primary means of attack. What could be more direct than a solid jab and a swift kick to the nuts? Undeniably effective but not very subtle.

Derived from weapons-based techniques, Aikido is primarily an ABD art. We must create the illusion of an opening to induce the opponent’s attack. Attack by Draw baits a specific attack with a planned counter. Shizentai, the natural body posture, is an opening gambit presenting a false unpreparedness to induce the attack.

Even the kihon presentation of an extended hand and the dojo-conditioned response of uke grasping it, is an indication of the underpinning of the art as ABD (and PIA). In more advanced play, the extended hand is akin to a jab, to bait a counter, followed by a slip to shikaku and a finishing counter.

Consider the standard presentation of any technique in the dojo. The instructor will indicate the opening uke is to take. Often this will necessitate nage naming the attack or gesturing to the opening. This is a pedagogical tool that should be eschewed at higher levels of training and presentation. Instructors especially should cultivate presentations of self that close all other opportunities than the one line nage wants.

ABD is a confidence game. Many arts use ABD sparingly because it is a risky move that necessitates higher skill because we are responding second, and because an imperfect execution will lead a skilled opponent to counter.

PIA is the secondary form of attack Aikido exploits, and often as part of the technique set up by the initial ABD. A Progressive Indirect Attack is initiated with a false or fake strike to create an opening for a second strike. The “progressive” part is how the motion of the initial fake is also part of the beginning motion of the second attack. Therefore, your second attack should be half way to its target by the end of your fake. For example:

Yokomen (R) – insert atemi L, disengage, strike the attacker’s arm R rebound irmi-nage R.

Again, recognize that from a viewer’s perspective, the Aikidoist is responding to an attack and therefore is labeled a defensive art, but the truth is far more subtle – Aikido leads the opponent to the opening that the Aikidoist gave. This requires sang froid.

A typical (and usually valid) criticism of Aikido is that the curriculum lacks (and most dojos fail to present) the Single Direct Attack (SDA) as a credible attack. The SDA in Aikido is shomen, yokomen, tsuki and is simply uke’s initiating action. Because it is rarely presented as nage’s role, the SDA appears to have limited application and its credibility is questioned by other arts.

Rightfully so in most instances. But do not be blinded by historical limitations and tradition: Yokomen is a haymaker punch, shomen could be a downward dagger, or a straight blast punch (lines can be points, and points can be lines). Think and see the potential of the range of human motion, do not be limited to the lexical labels!

So practice uke’s roles with at least equal vim and vigor that you do nage’s role. What we often miss in training is that uke as “feeder” is perceived as a lesser role or worse a passive one. Uke is essentially training as the aggressor and therefore should be learning to be an effective one!

When it was introduced, Aikido was considered a “higher” art, meaning experienced martial artists only were admitted to learn augmenting skills that honed the base art (karate, kendo, etc.) which students brought with them as foundations. In short – Aikido presumed that the students were well grounded in the SDA arts. Therefore, to be a well-developed Aikidoist the foundations of SDA skills must be special taught (or cross-trained).

The goals of SDA are simple and effective: use a strike aimed at a specific target that travels the shortest path with sufficient leverage or power to do its intended job.

The irony is a SDA is more often used than all the other four ways of attack by other arts and it is usually the least emphasized in Aikido. Prioritize mastering SDA as uke during your daily training.

The last two forms are Attack by Combination (ABC) and Hand Imobilization Attack (HIA).

An Attack by Combination links two or more striking techniques executed in sequence. Think of a boxer’s combinations: jab, straight right; jab, left hook; low kick to straight blast; you should get the idea. ABC is rarely presented in Aikido as a method of attack, but is found when breaking down any flow pattern into its constituent atemi pauses. I have presented this in class and discussed a staccato phrasing. Although rarely explicated in the language of ABC, I would argue that all Aikido techniques are by necessity ABC, just “smoothed” out because the goal of Aikido is connected flow with kimusubi. But never forget – if and once the connection is broken by either player, then ABC must be deployed!

Staccato means that each point on the line of flow suddenly becomes a series of SDA each with its own target. Proper targeting people, always.

And the final form of attack – Hand Immobilization (HIA) which is the sine qua non of Aikido. As I have argued above, the SDA in Aikido is under-emphasized because nage’s techniques are intended to find culmination in HIA. These trapping skills in Aikido are presented as the primary goal, whereas in most other arts, trapping skills are follow up to SDA and I ABC.

A critical difference in an close-range or empty hand focused art is that HIA in those arts are often a means to remove an interposing hand to land a strike. For example, some classic HIA would be:

Pak Sao, Biu Gee (finger Jab)
Lop Sao, Back fist (this is a standard drill)
Double Pak Sao, Straight Blast

Aikido’s emphasis is slightly different insofar as the trap (historically) resulted in an elbow break, a wrist snap, shoulder dislocate, or neck break. The point was to take a weapon-bearing samurai off the field. So the HIA are executed on the distal parts of the body first, then work toward the core. The brute bunkai of Aikido is not emphasized, but the budo remains vestigial, ready for invigorated deployment as necessary.

Augment your understanding of the potential of the art by expanding what HIA means – we need not limit ourselves to upper body limbs alone:

Stepping on the foot to prevent a retreat (and as a force multiplier)
Tying up the neck to throw a punch or a knee (irimi nage plus)

Using the language of other arts is a means to re-cast and re-present how we understand our own art. Sclerotic understanding is our enemy! Never stop questioning, never stop exploring.

Virtūs et Honos

DRAWPOINT

In a self defense scenario, reaction time is one of the most important types of speed to cultivate. In traditional Japanese arts, iaijutsu is an example of a quick draw response system, now become an ossified art.[1] The Drawpoint method of deploying a knife is a modern cognate alive with potential.

Drawpoint is Comtech’s refinement of Pekiti Tersia Kali. Master Keating has done the hard thinking for us by distilling a traditional system to a modern context. While there is no substitute for hands-on instruction and training:

Buy the DVDs for your reference library.

The most distinctive feature of the system is its simplicity: draw and point.

The draw in Drawpoint refers to producing the knife quickly from a sheath. For this to be done effectively the right kind of knife and sheath must be used. When the system was developed in the early 90’s very few came with a great sheath system to carry them. This is why the Drawpoint method was initially focused on using the Gryphon M-10; a relatively small sized fixed blade with a secure kydex sheath. The sheath firmly held the knife in place while allowing for an immediate drawstroke without needing to unsnap or otherwise free the knife handle.

Equipment should never become a mere fetish, but the complementary pairing is available:

The draw is a quick response to an assailant. The fixed blade is open carry in a sheath (Oregon Knife Up law) with the blade pointed to the rear. Once you establish a master grip on the handle the knife is quickly presented in a edge-in (the “pakal”) grip. There are two primary grips, forward and reverse. Then there are two blade orientations, edge in and edge out. Together these are the 4 edges of the blade. The edge-in grip is dictated by the logic of the system. As Master Keating will readily admit, the grip is not a panacea, the grip is dictated by the logic of the system which is a close quarters extreme protection scenario. It is not a duel or a contest of styles. Drawpoint is a trained response to a surprise and violent assault.[2]

The primary reason for the edge-in grip is self-protection. Meaning the blade is held so that in a close-quarter fight where you use the live hand to check an opponent’s cut, an edge-out presentation has a greater chance to cut your actively intercepting hand. The system reduces the chance to self-cut. The secondary reason for the edge-in presentation is the capture.

The basic drills for the reverse grip:

Rolling pick

Similar to chain punching (Lin Wan Kuen), a rolling pick trains the initiating response – draw, extend, flick to point, pick, return. The counter is a stop hit press down and counter pick.

Because you draw the knife in reverse grip, your counter strike is like a punch, knife butt leads, necessitating a “flicking” action to deploy the point. Developing this skill requires a good number of repetitions to get the mechanics down. Your target is the bridge of your opponents nose, between the eyes. The pick requires accuracy more than force because as your opponent turns to avoid the knife point, they will present an eye.

Bob is a great feedback tool with enough resistance to force you to retain your grip while you hit the eye. Aim small miss small.

Both players get equal training time and play both the offense and defense simultaneously. Once a training pace is established, the players can introduce the traps. The trap is a response to an induced flinch in the assailant. A flinch is a non-trained “reflexive” response.

We are training with the goal to condition our reflexive response to draw and point and to exploit the ‘reflexive’ responses in others.

Inducing a flinch response is ABD – Drawpoint exploits this by using the blade in capture method – as the hands come up to defend the eyes, the scissor action of the blade-in grip captures the opponent’s hand.

Cover and Slash

In reverse grip, Player A strikes yokomen (angle 6), do (slash), gyaku-yokomen (angle 7), do, yokomen, repeat. Player B’s counter pattern intercepts the yokomen, executes an upward slash to the bicepts/tricepts and counters gyaku-yokomen, then pivots to intercept the gyaku-yokomen to again upward slash and counter yokomen.

Review the pattern: this is a variation on a thrusting triangle tap drill. In the thrusting triangle both players stab 5, 6, 7 while the live hand [3] stops each thrust in time. Where the thrusting triangle uses the point exclusively, Cover and Slash uses both the edge and point.

Connect points with lines and see that the lines define points. When you connect the thrusting points with a contouring cut the power of the drill emerges.

Counter for Counter

For the second day of training, we ended with a counter for counter drill which I present with an Aikido-vocabulary gloss:

Player A attacks yokomen (angle 1) – Player B chases the strike and forces the strike to the belt line (cut back of hand)

Player B counter-attacks with chudan tsuki (stab to the bladder) – Player A wings (bong sao) to intercept the thrust, cuts up and strikes with the butt of the knife to the face.

Player B stop hits the butt – Player A flips the blade to pick the eye.

Player B roof blocks (draw cut defense) and strikes yokomen to start the sequence again.

Processing this information, I have to translate to Aikido in order to work on it in class: I hide the drill. While I did break it down in segments to show the stops, Aikido plays only the line. The entire drill is a ki-no-nagare flow from gyaku-hanmi to ai-hanmi katate dori ikkyo. The kali breaks the flowing line to its constituent target points, and adds the slightly unfamiliar rhythm. At first chasing the yokomen hand (follow from the outside line rather that intercept on the inner), but in ki-no-nagare, even that is gyaku-hanmi katate dori tenkan to feed back to ai-hanmi. The lines are universal. Connect the points in the kali and you have contouring, de-emphasize the bunkai targeting, emphasize the connected energetic flow and we are back to Aikido.

Any use of the knife in reverse grip is the same line as an elbow strike.

Think on these connections.

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10/12/19 – 10/13/19 Keating Hellbows and Drawpoint Method Seminar

Brian Chilton’s Notes and Observations

Hubud Lubud is the foundational exercise. One must know Hubud to progress.

Angles of Attack – Inosanto/LaCoste Angles – these vary from school to school but the first 5 are relevant here.

Image result for FMA angles of attack — Inosanto/LaCoste Angles

Review Keating’s Martial Arts: FMA –The Top Ten Sins In Hubud Lubud Training

For Keating, there are three ranges to practice – Long, medium, short. Each range will slightly alter Hubud Lubud.

Long range (Panantukan boxing range) – Assume right hand attack.

Uke uses an Angle 5 punch.
Nage raises her left hand as if to take a drink from a cup and parries the strike with her palm.

Her right hand comes up into the Ʌ created by the connection of her left-handed parry and his Angle 5 attack. Notice she will need to shift her center to face the training wall for her to escape his check hand.
She raises her right hand into the Ʌ and cuts down onto his right forearm, allowing her to trap his right arm with her right palm.
She removes her right palm and replaces it with her left palm.
She is now Uke and punches Angle 5 with her right hand and the drill repeats.

Medium range – the attack becomes and Angle 1. Keating assumes the attack is like a hammer-fist and is crashing down onto Nage. As a result, Nage must receive this energy differently. See below.

Uke attacks with his/her right using an Angle 1 attack
Nage raises his left hand as if to feel his forehead with the back of his left hand. Old timers at Portland Aikikai will remember Mike Cavalle teaching the southern Belle “Oh My” response.

*This response is dangerous as the inside of the wrist is exposed to a knife attack.

An alternative response is blocking out with the backside of the left arm as if one had a shield.

From here, the drill is identical to Long range where Nage raises his right hand into the Ʌ and cuts down. See steps 4-6 in Long range except change the final attack to an Angle 1.

Short range is grappling range or Dumog = elbows range. The attack is an Angle 1 Elbow attack.

Uke attacks with his right elbow using an Angle 1 attack
Nage can receive or meet the attack like in Medium range with the Oh My technique. It is imperative to cup Uke’s elbow. If possible, meet the attack at the pinnacle as if it were a sword at the peak of its arc. This will cause Nage to be under the elbow and Nage will gain superior leverage. But this is a drill so once the elbow is cupped, perform the rest of Hubud like Long and Medium ranges.
Nage’s right hand comes up into the Ʌ created by the connection of the left-handed cupping to the Angle 1 elbow.

Nage’s cut is now just above Uke’s elbow but the remainder of the drill is the same. Nage will become uke and deliver and Angle 1 elbow.

**An Alternative response and the one Keating showed was to receive Uke’s right Angle 1 elbow with your own LEFT Angle 1 elbow. Nage becomes Uke immediately and with his left Angle 1 elbow. The drill would become a left, right, left, right circular, alternative elbow drill.

Other insights around Hubud Lubud – Hubud is Heaven Six. Hubud Lubud combinations are infinitesimal. Hubud Lubud allows for maximum reps in a very short period of time. Hubud Lubud is Yin and Yang in motion.

Swithching sides in Hubud Lubud – Keating went off in the only way James Keating can about being able to do everything from both sides. We have a right side and a left side. Switching sides smoothly in Hubud Lubud is challenging for many. Keating’s solution is to utilize the “Wiping Down method”.

Too many of today’s students will not have seen the Karate Kid from the 80s. Make it a homework assignment because the Wax on, Wax off, Paint the Fence and Sand the Deck motions are great teaching aids. Keating’s wiping motion is “Sand the Deck” from the Karate Kid. It is a circular outside in, clockwise motion.

For switching in Hubud Lubud, Nage receives whatever angle of attack and “wipes down” – a circular outside in, from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock motion. Nage will do this twice and then attack as Uke.

Uke attacks Angle 1 with right hand.
Nage wipes with left hand in and outside in, clockwise motion, 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock.
Uke attacks again with the left hand from Angle 1.
Nage wipes again but with the right hand doing so in an outside in, down, clockwise motion.
NOW, NAGE becomes Uke and attacks with the left hand Angle 1. The switch has occurred and Hubud Lubud continues.

5 Part Elbow Shields – this kata is a series of movements to allow one to study movement from an elbow perspective.

Keating’s Elbow Shields can be broken down into horizontal, vertical and circular. All of his shields have a strike attached to them. The shields are performed from the same side for all versions. They can be, and should be, done from both sides.

Horizontal – The movement is palm parallel to the ground, the elbow is also parallel to the ground and travels from the shoulder to sternum. The strike is then a back fist the nose.

Image result for horizontal elbow strike

Vertical – From the back fist, drop your elbow straight down deep into the hip and explode up with a punch that finishes palm down (your punch from the hip begins palm up). Raise the right arm to shield the side of your head.

Bring the shield around the head and strike down at an angle 1 on the nose with a monkey paw strike.

Circular – From the previous strike, drop the right elbow down and rotate the elbow across the front of the chest. The right thumb is pointing to the right. Extend and strike with a back fist. Then, rotate the elbow out and above your right hear and strike down. These moves encompass the shield of paiyon and roofing actions.

Image result for aikido tai no henko okamoto

Elbow Drills –

Horizontal drill – Uke throws a right handed punch like a hook. Nage, with his left hand, parries the strike into his right, horizontal elbow. Uke throws from the other side and Nage, with his right hand, parries the strike into his left horizontal elbow.

Vertical drill – Uke throws a straight right-handed punch or jab. Nage, with his left hand, parries the strike into an ascending, right, vertical elbow. Repeat from the other side.

Hammer and Anvil drill – this is a flow drill that gives both players the chance to block elbow strikes and to hit using the hammer and anvil. Hammer and anvil is placing one hand behind a target and hitting the target with the elbow (or fist) from the opposite hand. The target for this drill is the bicep.

Start – Uke places the left hand behind Nage’s right tricep. Uke delivers an Angle 1 elbow strike straight down on Nage’s bicep (softly, don’t kill your partner).
1. After delivering the strike, Uke with the right hand delivers a back fist to Nage’s face.
1. Nage’s right arm was just hit. With the left hand, block Uke’s strike to the face.
1. This creates and X, like Hubud, reach under and grab Uke’s right tricep just above the elbow with the right hand.

Pull the tricep toward you. Put the left hand behind Uke’s tricep and strike down with your right elbow.

Other elbow Drills

-One person just feeds and blocks, the other does hammer and anvil.

-One person covers, the other hubuds and hammer and anvils with strike. It’s a walk up the arm – horizontal elbow and strike.

-Incorporate wipes down to an elbow, explore different patterns and strikes.

Entry – Salute System – Larry Hartzell

Uke punches with right hand.
Nage parries with the left and steps left off the line to the outside while giving a salute with the right hand (elbow shield).
Nage now turns to the right and gives a salute with the left hand. This vertical elbow strike Uke on the way up. On the way down, it clears Uke’s right arm and opens Uke’s center line.
Nage can now hit again with the right elbow.

This is just and entry – a road map. There are many combinations one can use here. Explore all options. Left and right side.

Cover and Slash – Icepick (reverse) grip vs Hammer (standard) grip.

One Player in standard grip feeds the 6 and 7 attacks. The motion follows a “U” pattern. At the top of each side of the “U”, this player pokes. The finger nails are always toward the sky.

The other player in reverse grip will be covering and slashing. CRITICAL – this player must start and finish at the bottom of the U after every repetition.

Assuming Player one is feeding right handed 6’s and 7’s, Player 2 will check the hand and slash the forearm or Player 2 will check the forearm and slash the hand.

-Player two to remove knife and try with Elbows.

Random Stick Play – Exploring Elbow Disarm opportunites – there are many.

Each Player with a stick – Angle 1 attack, Angle 2 attack, – then number 3 elbow shield to disarm. – Step back.

*This next section begins blending the Draw Point method with elbow knowledge. Elbows motions are the same as reverse knife grip.*

Reverse Knife Play Drills – 4 corners introduction – Box Drill. The X’s represent targets to strike with the knife in reverse grip.

-When the strikes are high, the checking hand fingers needs to be high-to-the-sky

-When attacks are low, the checking hand fingers are down to the ground.

-Explore this with high-line hubud and low -ine Hubud.

Rotary Knife – this is like hitting a punching bag but one hand is checking and the other has the knife in reverse grip. The knife flicks out at the other player’s eyes. Use eye protection.

Using a stick allows for Punho (butt-end of the stick) practice. The stick goes under the arm and the rotary motion causes the sick to go back and forth under the arm. If it comes out, the range is medium range. It should stay under for short range.

Reverse-grip knife – Keating teaches the blade edge should be toward you as this creates a way to trap between your forearm and the blade. It also prevents one from cutting themselves in upper and downward slash motions.

Palasut Drill – Reverse against Standard grip. Same U shape as Cover and Slash drill.

Uke in standard grip, delivers an Angle 1 attack.
Nage in reverse grip, intercepts and passes Uke to the right side and lifts Uke’s knife arm (lift the arm above the elbow on the tricep side.
Nage attacks the Uke’s kidney.
Uke must step back to escape

Punyo Sumbrad on YouTube as well.

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[1] Ossified insofar as the form takes precedence over substance and legally you can carry a knife every day, but not a katana.

[2] There are other methods. Michael Janich was originally inspired by the Drawpoint method but adds his flavor in Martial Blade Concepts.

[3] The Live Hand is the non-weapon hand and is used to interpose and defend against your opponent’s weapon hand. Review Pete Kautz’s summary on training the live hand.