05.10.07 - Practice Out Of Class

Session with Bill during Lunch

Sifu and I were able to get together for a workout at lunch today. He opened with some expectations of me regarding training toward my Blue belt. He stated that he wants me to work on my intensity and speed, that they will go hand in hand. Next he told me that in watching me in my training up until now, it appears that I am holding back. The advice he gave is that I need to trust my training and my training partners, especially the Green belts as they have already been through this level of training. Further, he stated that it is okay to increase certain types of contact – but he didn’t elaborate on this point.

We then shifted focus to Blue belt techniques. The theme of the techniques for Blue belt are simultaneous movements.

The first technique we reviewed was Bridging Claw – an inside defense against a right roundhouse punch. The following points are what I understand of the technique so far:

• Drop into a left neutral bow stance with the left arm extended to the face presenting a claw
  o The left elbow should be raised to establish the block
  o The left claw is also a palm heel strike to the face (nose)
  o The shoulders should be brought up to protect the head/chin from attack.
  o The left claw also obstructs the view of the attacker
• While transitioning to a right lunge punch to the solar plexus, bring the left hand up vertical along the side of the face as a check.
• Next, shoot the left hand forward to the face will simultaneously delivering a right ball kick to the groin. Be sure that the shoulders are square to the attacker when doing this or you will be moving across your center to punch or kick, thus throwing off your balance.

The next technique we discussed was Clashing Hammers – a defense against a left flank headlock. The following points are what I understand of the techniques so far:

• As the attacker comes in from the left side to put you into a headlock, don’t fight him but rather go with the motion allowing your arms to swing naturally, guiding them into these strikes:
  o The left hand forms a hammer fist and strikes to the kidney on the far side of the attacker (his left side). The strike is such the left arm bridges across the back and can either hit the right kidney with the forearm or at least the muscular area across that portion of his back.
  o The right hand swings up to the groin in striking in an upward trajectory with the fist. The fist is aligned such that the top of the thumb is making contact first.
  o The stance adjusts so that you are virtually 90 degrees to the left of where you started, essentially stepping forward with the right foot as you turn with the hammer lock.
• Next, use the left hand to contour up to the back of the head – this becomes your target. Bring your tightly clenched right fist up to your left hand, effectively sandwiching the head. Do not push the head forward or down with the left hand.
• Move your left hand into a claw onto your attacker’s face. Your arm should be between you and your attacker, clawing the near side of his face – not reaching around to the other side. Simultaneously, the left claw hand arcs backward (keeping the elbow tucked) while the left foot sweeps his right leg forward. This creates a pivot point somewhere about his waist, taking him off balance and ultimately to the ground behind you.

The last technique we had time to discuss today was called Trapped Lighting – an outside defense against a right straight punch. The following points are what I understand of the techniques so far:

• Stepping in toward a right straight punch, guide your right arm up into a parry/block/grab similar to that used in Stopping the Storm except you are stepping outside of the punch. Your right hand winds up pulling the attacker’s right hand down and away at a 45 degree angle canceling his height, width and depth while simultaneously delivering a straight left to the head (temple is the optimum target). You should be in a left neutral bow.
• While step-dragging forward into a lunge stance, the left hand comes down in a looping check to the top of the pectoral muscle and across his upper left arm, essentially neutralizing it. While this is happening, the right hand is contouring up the arm to deliver a palm heel strike to the face (nose).
• The left hand will now contour up the chest for a chop to the throat while the left foot comes forward to sweep the attacker’s right leg for a takedown.

There was a ton to absorb in a short amount of time. We were working on a slippery floor surface which made stances tricky but was perhaps a bit more realistic to what you might encounter in the real world. In reviewing the notes I have taken, I’m sure they are incomplete. I’ll flesh them in more as I practice them and learn more about them.

We were forced to cut short the workout due to time constraints but the workout was informative and productive just the same.