By Scott Shaw
A
sucker punch is commonly defined as finding yourself being unexpectedly struck
in the back of your head by an attacker who has accosted you without your
anticipation. The reason the sucker punch can be such a devastating blow is
that you do not see it coming and, because of this fact, it can leave you
injured and ill prepared to counterattack. As you have been hit first to a
vulnerable portion of your body, (the back of your head), you may, in fact,
even be knocked out.
From
a martial arts perspective, no well-trained or honorable person would ever
attack an individual in this manner. This being stated, the streets are never
kind and are rarely honorable. It is for this reason that as a martial artist
you must be prepared to deal with this type of assault if it is ever
encountered.
In
all systems of martial arts, it is understood that the first powerful,
well-connected, strike can set the stage for the entire confrontation. This is
because of the fact that the first person that is impacted with a powerful
strike may be left dazed and vulnerable to further attacks. This is, in fact,
the primary reason that an attacker employees a sucker punch. They wish to
injure their opponent and hopefully set a pattern for confrontational victory
without the need to actually go toe-to-toe with their target.
Sucker Punch: Step One
As
detailed, a sucker punch is never an honorable method of physical
confrontation. Due to this fact, the moment you have been struck from behind
you must counterattack without the thought of why your opponent has unleashed
their attack. As such, to achieve any hope of confrontational dominance and to
limit the injuries you will receive, you must immediately counterattack.
As
your opponent is behind you, your most rapid method of counterattack is to
immediately spin on your rear based leg and deliver either a powerful spinning
back fist or elbow strike to the head of your attacker or, if you are trained in
effective kicking techniques, deliver a powerful back kick to the knee or
mid-section of your opponent. These techniques are all rapid and powerful
deterrent mechanisms. In addition, each of these counter-strikes possesses the
ability to halt your attacker from unleashing further strikes to your body.
Sucker Punch: Step Two
Each
physical altercation is defined by its own set of parameters. Whenever you find
yourself in a physical altercation these factors set the stage for the type of
techniques you will most appropriately utilize for your self-defense. For
example, each physical confrontation is defined by your environment, the height
and weight of your opponent, and by the level of combat training your opponent
has been exposed to.
Each
system of fighting arts trains its practitioners how to encounter an opponent
in a specific manner. Boxing generally trains its practitioners to face off
with an opponent. Jujitsu practitioners commonly attempt to tackle an opponent
and take the fight to the ground. Hard style practitioners will move back and
forth, side-to-side, while delivering hand and kicking techniques. Soft style
practitioners will oftentimes attempt to deflect an opponent’s attack and
perhaps counterstrike or send them to the ground with a throw.
These
are the techniques used by trained martial artists. More commonly in the
streets, however, is that you will encounter at attacker who is not schooled in
the finer aspects of physical combat. As such, they will do things such as sucker
punch you and then simply unleash a barrage of wild, misdirected punches in
your direction. To effectively end the confrontation in the most rapid manner
possible you must immediately counter attack with the best techniques at your
disposal.
Sucker Punch: Step Three
As
each martial artist is exactly trained in self-defense techniques that are
unique to their style, it is those techniques that you will employee when you
find yourself defending against a sucker punch attack.
To
most effectively defend against the sucker punch type of assault, you must
rapidly deploy the best defensive tools at your disposal. In other words,
defend yourself with the least amount of effort and then continue to
counterattack with your best available options until your opponent is
defeated.
If
you practice a hard style of self-defense use the best punching and kicking
tools at your disposal. If you practice a soft style that employs joint locks
to debilitate an opponent take hold of the most easily accessible joint of your
opponent’s body and drive him to the ground.
The
main thing to understand when deciding to unleash any type of defensive attack
against the sucker punch is that it must be a defensive maneuver that you are
well versed in, can easily unleash, and will have the most devastating effect
upon your attacking opponent.
Sucker Punch: Step Four
As
is commonly understood in all styles of martial arts, one technique is rarely
enough to defeat an adrenalin filled opponent. For this reason, once you
have unleashed a powerful counter measure, you must continue forward with
further counterattacks to cement your victory in the confrontation. Therefore,
once you have redirected the path of the confrontation, strike your opponent
until he is fully debilitated.
Sucker Punch: Step Five
No
confrontation is ever won by lingering. If you do encounter a sucker punch
confrontation, your best alternative is to leave the arena before it escalates.
But, in many cases this is not possible.
If
your exit is not an option, then you must counterattack by using your best
available tools of self-defense and then immediate leave the sight of the
altercation. Do not allow your opponent to recover from whatever self-defense
techniques you have unleashed and come at you again.
As
explained, a sucker punch is the type of attack that no honorable combatant
would ever employ. Though this is the case, as a martial artist you must train
to defend yourself against whatever type of attack you may encounter. From
this, you emerge as a more proficient self-defense technician as well as being
a more whole and competent human being.
Copyright © 1997 –
All Rights Reserved
