The Intercepting Kicks of Taekwondo

By Scott Shaw

The Korean martial art of Taekwondo is immediately identified by its extensive kicking arsenal. The focus of Taekwondo’s expansive use of the kick became even more clearly defined as the art moved into the ranks of an Olympic sport during the 1980’s.

At the Olympic level, Taekwondo’s focus is placed upon the use of the feet as the predominate weapons of offensive. No punching is allowed to an opponent’s face—though kicking to the head is a viable and sought after option.

Modern Taekwondo has focused primarily upon making the art an aggressive, attack orientated system of martial arts. Though the kicking techniques taught in Taekwondo are predominately geared towards offensive applications, the same kicks which are commonly used as aggressive weapons of attack can be used to defensively intercept the onslaught of an attacking opponent and immediately put an end to his assault. The only difference between the offensive and defensive application of the Taekwondo kick is how, when, and where it is targeted.

Taekwondo’s Kicking Strategy

To begin to understand how to use the Taekwondo kick as a defensive weapon it must first be understood that if you are continually in an offensive posture—hoping to out kick or overpower your opponent, then you will not be able to use your kicks as defensive tools. This overemphasized offensive mindset is prevalent among many modern Olympic style Taekwondo practitioners.  They are commonly taught that by kicking and kicking some more, sooner or later they will win the match by points—if nothing else. Though this understanding may, in fact, be at least partially true when you are wearing a chest protector and engaged in a sanctioned match—this mindset will completely be undermined the minute you go up against as savvy opponent on the street—where the first and most powerfully delivered strike often times sets the stage for who will win the confrontation. 

Understanding this, the modern Taekwondo stylist can begin to redevelop their expansive kicking arsenal and use their kicks not only as powerful weapons of offensive but as precise defensive weapons, as well.

The Offense of Defense

When a Taekwondo kick is used as a defensive weapon it must be initially understood that if you possess the opportunity to launch a preemptive kick to an open target on your opponent: such as a Front Kick to his groin, solar plexus, or under his chin, than this is your opportunity to stop the assault before it begins and you sh­ould take advantage of this opening.  This style of defensive offense is not always applicable on the street or in sanctioned matches, however.  Thus, the science of the defensive Taekwondo kick must be studied further to see how it can be used most effectively in all types of physical combat.

Defining the Defensive Kick

When you begin to use the Taekwondo kick as a defensive weapons there are three primary rules which must be observed in order to make the feet effective weapons of defense:

1) The defensive kick must be easy to unleash.

2) The defensive kick must be very fast.

3) The defensive kick must travel to its target in the most expedient manner possible.

Rule One

The primary rule of the Taekwondo defensive kick is that it must be easy to unleash.  This is elementally important, for if a kick is complicated or elaborate, it will too complex to actualize and your opponent will no doubt deliver his attack to your body before you can intercept it.

Rule Two

The second rule goes hand-in-hand with the first—and that is your kick must be very fast.  The problem with some of the kicks use in demonstration orientated Taekwondo is though the these kick are very flamboyant and pretty to watch, their application is very slow.  To this end, those kicks must be left behind in combat if you wish to emerge victorious.

Rule Three

The third and final rule is that the defensive Taekwondo kick must proceed to it target in the most efficient manner possible.

As Taekwondo has evolved over the past five decades, its methods of delivering powerful kicking techniques has become more and more refined. Taekwondo has left behind many of the exaggerated kicking movements, common to the Japanese martial arts, which influenced Taekwondo’s early development.  What has emerged are fluid, very rapid, linear kicking techniques seen only in this Korean based martial art.  With this evolution, the defensive applications of the Taekwondo kick has increased multifold as the kicks have become much easier to unleash and due to their linear design they are much harder to defend against.

The Taekwondo Forward Side Kick

To come to a better understanding of how the Taekwondo kick has evolved—making it much easer to unleash in offensive and defensive applications, we can view the modern Taekwondo Side Kick.

The modern Taekwondo Side Kick is brought straight up, as if a Front Kick were being launched. Once your leg has reached approximately waist height, your leg is then pivoted at hip level, and the kick is snapped out in Side Kick fashion. The style of Forward Side Kick can be launched from either your rear or forward leg.

The reason it is important to develop the ability to perform a Side Kick in this fashion is that it is extremely fast and can be launched from virtually any standing positioning. It does not require that you bring your rear leg up to the side and then pivot your entire body, alerting your opponent to your intentions before you actually deliver the kick—as is the case of the Traditional Side Kick. Instead, you have alleviated many of the unnecessary components of this kick, making it not only easier to unleash but substantially faster, as well.

 

The Two Styles of Kicking Defense

Once the basic rules of defensive kicking are understood you can then move on to actually implementing effective defensive kicks.  There are type primary methods of defense, the Taekwondo practitioner employees, while utilizing the kick:

1) The Intercepting Kick.

2) The Blocking Kick.

           

The Intercepting Kick

The Intercepting Kick is Taekwondo first-line of defensive kicking methodology.  The Intercepting Kick witness you drive a defensive kick into your opponent before his kicking or punching attack can be fully actualized.

At the most elementary level, Intercepting Kick Defense witnesses you deliver a basic Front Kick, Side Kick, or Roundhouse Kick to an open Vital Strike Point on your opponent as he is in the process of launching an aggressive attack towards you.  As targeting is very important with this style of kicking defense, you will want to aim at a location on his body which you will be assured of impacting.  Furthermore, you will want to target a location which, once you have made contact with, will cause his attack to immediately stop. The primary target locations for this style of Interceptive Kicking Defense are the knees, the groin, or in the case of sanctioned Taekwondo matches, the solar plexus, or under the chin.

This style of Interceptive Kicking Counter Attack can also be used to intercept the punching assault of your opponent.  In this case, you would target a Front Kick at his inner shoulder, just as he is recoiling to punch.  With impact, not only will his initial attack be halted but also he will be left open for further counter assault as necessary.

The Intercepting Side Kick

The Intercepting Kick is not limited to debilitating first-line kicking counter attacks.  For example, an Interceptive Side Kick delivered to the mid-section of your attacker will instantly stop any assault he is unleashing.

The defensive Intercepting Side Kick can be most rapidly deployed from your Lead Leg.  This is especially true when your opponent is launching an offensive kicking technique from his Rear Leg.  As his kick rises, you simply deliver a powerful Side Kick to his side, under his arms, and he will be send back, often times to the ground.

The Intercepting Side Kick is also very effective against the punching assault of an attacker.  As his punch is launched, you powerfully deliver a mid-level Side Kick to his body.  His punching attacking will be intercepted due to the fact that not only is the reach of your leg longer than his arm, but it is additionally substantially more powerful.   

The Blocking Kick

The second level of Taekwondo’s defensive kick is the Blocking Kick.  This style of defense witnesses you interrupt the kick of your opponent by blocking it with a kick of your own. To achieve this, your kick must be faster then your opponent’s and halt his attack as close to its point of origin as possible.  In this way his kick will not have gained the necessary momentum to knock you off balance before you can stop his attack.

The Blocking Side Kick

The Blocking Kick is ideally represented by delivering a low Side Kick to the ankle or shin section of your opponent’s kicking leg as he attempted to unleashing his offensive techniques.  This style of defensive kick will immediately interrupt his attack and leave him open to further counter attack.

Follow Up

Once you have intercepted or blocked your opponent attack, with a kicking technique, you must immediately follow up with a secondary counter strike or his assault will continue.  The style of secondary attack you will unleash is predominately defined by the type of kicking defense you initially utilized.  For example, if you intercepted an assault with a mid-level Side Kick to your opponent’s stomach or side, then you can immediately use your free hands to deliver a Back Fist to his face.  If you have block his oncoming kick with a Side Kick to his ankle, you may wish to continue with your kicking defense by immediately retracting your kicking leg and deliver a secondary Side Kick to a higher level on his body.

The most important thing to remember is that your follow up technique must occur instantaneously after your initial defensive technique has successfully intercepted your opponent’s assault.  Additionally, your secondary counter attack must be able to travel rapidly—striking your opponent to a debilitating location, thus, keeping the bout from continuing further.

As you now understand, the Taekwondo Kick is much more than simply an offensive weapon.  When used properly it cannot only aid you in your self-defense, but it lead you to victory in any physical confrontation.

Copyright © 1993—All Rights Reserved

The Intercepting Kicks of Taekwondo @ Scott Shaw.com

Scott Shaw Hapkido Taekwondo International

The Low Kicks of Traditional Taekwondo

This article originally appeared in the July 1997 issue of Black Belt Magazine.

By Scott Shaw

            Modern Taekwondo has entered into a period where the rules of Olympic Sport Taekwondo have come to largely dominate the way in which this martial art system is taught. Though Taekwondo’s presence in the Olympics has done much to promote this martial art system on the whole, the rules inherent with Olympic sporting events are limiting by their very design. From Taekwondo’s association with the Olympics, many of the offensive and defensive techniques used in what might best be titled, “Traditional Taekwondo,” have been left behind if not lost altogether.

            In Olympic Taekwondo, the offensive strike zone on the opponent is limited to locations above the waistline. There are, however, numerous kicking techniques that were once commonly taught by traditional Taekwondo stylists that access many other locations on an opponent. For example, there were highly focused low kicks that were targeted at locations just at or well below the waistline. With the advent of Taekwondo’s acceptance as an Olympic sport many of these techniques have been, if not altogether forgotten, at least no longer commonly taught.

            To fill out a young Taekwondo student’s understanding of the earlier aspects of Taekwondo, which were commonly used before Olympic Taekwondo, we can view some of the low kicking techniques with the hope of expanding the kicking arsenal of all Taekwondo practitioners. From this the Taekwondo practitioner can become a more well-rounded self-defense technician.

Understanding the Front Kick 

            The Front Kick is the most commonly used kicking technique in both offensive and defensive applications. As is commonly understood, a Front Kick to the groin area of any individual is universally debilitating.  There are, however, other, less used offensive and defensive applications for the Front Kick that were once taught in Taekwondo. The first of these is a Front Kick strike targeted at an opponent’s shin. 

            A shin strike, though obviously not as devastating as a groin strike is, none-the-less, very effective in deterring an opponent from initially launching an aggressive attack towards you. To implement this form of rapid self-defense you simply need to witness your attacker as he moves towards you. As he does, you immediately deliver a powerful Front Kick targeted at his shin. From this impact, his attack will be halted and you will have the ability to either follow up with additional counter measures or leave the situation before the altercation continues on any farther.

            The low Front Kick is also an effective way to defensively intercept the onslaught of an opponent’s kick before it has had the opportunity to move too far from its position of inception. For example, you have faced off with an adversary; he begins a kicking technique targeted at you.  Immediately, you Front Kick to the shin region of his kicking leg. With this style of self-defense, you have immediately halted his kicking technique in progress. Not only does this stop his assault but this may throw him off balance.  Additionally, due to your opponent’s offensive technique being intercept, he will be ill prepared to launch a secondary technique at you.  From your superior combat positioning, you are ready to strike at him with a well-prepared secondary counter strike.

Understanding the Defensive Methodology

By intercepting your opponent’s kick with a low Front Kick interception, you will not be forced to block his kick with your hands or your arms. This allows them to remain free. Thus, you possess the superior opportunity to use them as necessary in achieving first strike advantage.

            The low Front Kick is an exceeding easy kick to deliver to your opponent; as your Front Kicking leg need only rise slightly up from the ground.  Therefore, this kick is exceedingly fast and extremely energy efficient. The low level Front Kick must, however, be precisely targeted to be effective.  This type of precision comes from target kicking drills focused at this low level position; low level drills which have, in fact, become absent from most modern Taekwondo classes. 

The low level Roundhouse Kick or Dollo Chagi is another common kick who's effectiveness becomes substantially enhanced by targeting it at a low level opponent location.  At the outset of any confrontation, a Roundhouse Kick can be most effectively delivered to the outside of your opponent’s knee or to his thigh. 

            When striking to an opponent’s knee, with a low level Roundhouse kick, he will be sent off balance; perhaps to such a degree that he will be knocked down to the ground.  If your impact is not that substantial, he will at least be set off balance where additional offensive techniques such as a Straight Punch to his face will leave him physically impaired.

If your low level Roundhouse Kick is directed towards an adversary’s outer thigh, this impact should be used as a prelude to a secondary offensive technique.  As the outer thigh strike location will not immediately impair an opponent, you can, non-the-less, use this substantial target to distract him while you deliver another powerful attack.

The Side Kick or Yup Chagi is also a common technique used in Taekwondo.  There is, however, a variation of this technique that is rarely taught to modern students of the art.  This Side Kicking technique is call Ap Yup Chagi in Korean or may be translated into Forward Side Kick.

To perform this Forward Side Kick, you can launch your kicking leg from either a rear, forward, or even a standing position.  The actual kicking leg, in this technique, is brought straight up, as if a Front Kick were being launched.  Once this leg has reached approximately waist level the kick in then pivoted at hip level and the actual kick is snapped out in Side Kick fashion.

This kick may take a little time for the beginning Taekwondo student to master, as the kicking foot is turned almost parallel to the ground.  The best way to initially develop the ability to kick in this fashion is to sit down, with legs straight in front of you, and slowly bend your feet in towards each other.  This movement should not take place at ankle level, but instead, should be performed by the pivoting of your hips.  In time, the muscles along your outer legs will loosen up and this Side Kicking technique will be easily performed.

The reason it is important to develop the ability to perform a Side Kick in this fashion, is that it is extremely fast and can be launched from virtually any standing positioning. As a defensive technique, this kick can be targeted at your opponent’s shin or knee.  As discussed with the low Front Kick, this is a very good weapon to intercept an opponent’s kick before it has the ability to develop velocity and strike you.  The added advantage of using this Forward Side Kick as a blocking technique over that of the Front Kick is that, you have the entire side of your foot to use a blocking weapon.  Thus, your precision does not have to be as precise as with that of the low Front Kick block.

As an offensive tool, the Forward Side Kick can be effectively low targeted at an adversary’s shin or his knee.  At mid level, is ideally targeted at an opponent’s mid section.  This kick can be used at the outset of a confrontation to impede the progress of an adversarial attack on you or can be used at any point during the fight when you are in close proximity to your opponent and need an effective weapon which is very difficult to block.

The Forward Side Kick does not need to be launched from the rear leg, as is common with many traditional kicking techniques. This kick, as discussed, can be launched from virtually any standing position.  With this as a basis, it is much harder for an opponent to see the Forward Side Kick’s onslaught.  Thereby, it is an exceedingly effective offensive weapon.  As this kick can be launched from any standing position, it can be utilized in all types of physical altercations.

As the Forward Side Kick by its design is very linear in nature.  It is a very rapid technique to use in all types of fights.  Therefore, the practice and development of this kick should be added to all martial artist’s kicking arsenals.

Another Traditional Taekwondo low kick which has been all but abandoned since the beginning of Sport Taekwondo is that of the Instep Kick or Pal Sok Chagi.  This kick is delivered by arching your kicking foot outwards and exposing the instep of your foot. The strike points of this kick are your heel and to a lesser degree the outer knife-edge of your foot.

You have faced off with an opponent. He begins to direct a kick at you. You immediately intercept this kick with an Instep Kick across your opponent’s shin.  His kick is thereby halted.  By keeping your kicking leg in place and applying additional muscle strength to it you push your opponent’s leg back to the ground.  Once his foot has made impact, you slid your own foot down his leg and step powerfully onto his foot.  His leg is, thereby, locked into place.  You cannot effortlessly deliver a powerful punching technique to his face.

As is the case with the low Side Kick, the Instep Kick needs little precision to intercept the oncoming kick of an opponent.  Additionally, by intercepting an offensive kick with your own powerful defensive kick, there is the potential of initially injuring your opponent’s shin, which leaves you in further superior positioning in the altercation.

The Instep Kick can additionally be used as an offensive weapon.  This kick can be target at low level locations on your opponent’s body, such as his shin or his knee.  It can also be brought up to a slightly higher level where it can strike to his thigh, groin, or midsection.  In all case the only defining factor for the use of this kick is that you must be in close proximity to your opponent.  This kick is not the type of technique that should be overtly extended, as this will have the potential of making you become off balance.  And, this is not an appropriate state to be in any physical confrontation.

In all cases with the low level kick, unless they are targeted at your opponent’s groin or his knee, they are not designed to leave you instantly victorious in a confrontation.  They are designed, however, to give you that ability to emerge victorious by following any of the initial low-level techniques up with appropriate additional defenses.

As we have learned Taekwondo possess several kick which are targeted a low level strike point and are rarely taught to modern students.  All of these kicks are easy to perform and are very effective to utilize when every you find yourself in a physical confrontation.  Add them to your practice schedule and you will become a more proficient martial artist.

Copyright © 1997—All Rights Reserved

The Low Kicks of Traditional Taekwondo @ Scott Shaw.com

Scott Shaw Hapkido Taekwondo International

Moo Yeh Do Bok Tong Gi By Scott Shaw

By Scott Shaw

Understand Korea's Martial History

            It is essential to understand that the Japanese forces, which occupied the Korean Peninsula from 1909 until 1945, destroyed virtually all records of the actual techniques of the ancient Korean martial arts. Many modern masters of the Korean martial arts falsely claim they can trace the origins of their systems back to the dawn of Korean civilization. Unfortunately, this is historically not the case. There are only two remaining documents: the Moo Yeh Jee Bo and the Moo Yeh Do Bok Tong Gi which give us insight into Korea's martial history. These are the only two sources to trace the history of Korean martial arts.

Moo Yeh Do Bok Tong Gi

            The conflicts between Japan and Korea are not unique to the twentieth century. They have been ongoing for centuries. Between 1592 and 1598 an attempted Japanese invasion of Korea took place. The Japanese invaders were defeated. Near the end of this conflict, a Chinese military text entitled, Ki Hyu Shin Zu, authored by the Chinese military strategist and martial artist, Chuk, Kye Kwang was discovered. The text had been acquired from a slain Japanese General. This manuscript was presented to Korean King Sun Jo (1567 - 1608). Within its pages was a system of Chinese weapons and hand-to-hand combat. King Sun Jo was so impressed by the methods presented in this text that he invited Chinese Generals and Chinese martial art masters who employed this system to visit his capital. From this contact, he ordered one of his Generals, Han Kyo, to take what he had learned from both the text and the demonstrations and design a new system of battlefield combat. This system was eventually written in six chapters and published as, Moo Yeh Jee Bo, “The Illustrations of the Martial Arts.”

            This text became the basis for formalized warfare for the Korean military. Within the pages of the text, the techniques of the Sang Soo Do, “Long Sword” Jang Chang, “Spear,” Dang Pa, “Triple End Spear,” Kon Bong, “Long Staff,” and Dung Pa, “Shield Defense,” are outlined.

Korean King Yong Jo (1724 - 1776) had the text revised during his reign. Twelve additional approaches to fighting were added. The manual was renamed, Moo Yeh Shin Bo, “The New Illustrations of the Martial Arts.”

            The fighting techniques added to the pages employed the Bon Kuk Kum, “Korean Straight Sword,” Wae Kum, “Japanese Sword,” Jee Dook Kum, “Admiral's Sword,” Yee Do, “Short Sword,” Sang Kum, “Twin Swords,” Wae Kum, “Crescent Sword,” Juk Jang, “Long Bamboo Spear,” Hyup Do, “Spear with a Blade,” Kee Jang, “Flag Spear,” Pyun Kon, “Long Staff with end like a nunchaka,” Kyo Jun, “Combat Engagement Strategy,” and Kwon Bop, literally, “Karate.”

            In 1790, at the direction of the next King of Korea, King Jung Jo (1776 - 1800), the Korean military strategists, Yi, Duk Moo and Park, Je Ga again revised the text and added six additional chapters to the manuscript: Ma Sang, “Combat horsemanship,” Ki Chang, “Spear fighting from horseback,” Ma Sang Wol Do, “Sword fighting from horseback,” Ma Sang Sang Kum, “Twin sword fighting from horseback,” Ma Sang Pyun Kon, “Long staff with shorter end like nunchaka, fighting from horseback,” and Kyuk Koo, “Gaming on horseback.”

            The text was retitled, Moo Yeh Do Bok Tong Gi, “The Comprehensive Illustrated Manual of the Martial Arts.” This text is the primary remaining document which modern Korean martial art practitioners turn to search out their foundational history.

The Moo Yeh Do Bok Tong Gi was first published for world consumption, in its original form, over twenty years ago by Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan founder Hwang Kee in this book, Tang Soo Do. It has recently been translated into English.

            Many people hear of this book believe that it will hold all of the answers to all of their questions on combat. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The techniques presented in this manuscript are extremely limited and the drawings, which depict the maneuvers, are not exacting as they were created several hundred years ago.

            As a source point for understanding the evolution of Korean history, Moo Yeh Do Bok Tong Gi, is a great text. It was written for a different age, however. As such, it is not the holy grail of martial art manuscripts as some people believe it to be. What you take away from it will be based on your own understanding of the martial arts.

Copyright © 1989 – All Rights Reserved

For more information on the history and the evolution of the Korean Martial Arts visit The History of the Korean Martial Arts page at Scott Shaw.com.

Kumdo: Understanding the Varying Traditions

 

By Scott Shaw

            Kumdo is the Korean art of the sword. Like many of the other modern Korean martial arts, Kumdo arose at the end of World War II when the Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula was lifted. Historically, there is an essential fact about Kumdo that many practitioners and non-practitioners alike do not understand. That fact is, there is not one overriding style of Kumdo that has arisen from Korea. There are a number of traditions that practice very different techniques, yet they each exist under the banner of Kumdo.

            With the lifting of Japanese occupation, there arose a number of martial art practitioners who had studied the Japanese martial arts, mostly in Japan, and had then returned to their native Korea and began teaching these arts, generally under a new name. This is what gave birth to the styles that eventually became the predominate martial arts associated with Korea; namely: Taekwondo and Hapkido. Within the realms of Taekwondo and Hapkido, yes, there are variants in style and technique but there is also a great commonality. This, however, is not absolutely the case with Kumdo. As the is no supreme governing body for Kumdo, like The World Taekwondo Federation or the Korea Hapkido Federation, the various styles of Kumdo have existed in their own right for decades.

            Currently, there is a style of Kumdo which holds very tightly to an origin based in Japanese Kendo. This is the branch where you will witness the practitioners putting on the long flowing pants that are mostly commonly known by the Japanese term, Hakama. They also wear the face protection and have fighting competitions using the bamboo sword or, Juk do, in Korean. But, there are other variants of Kumdo that are just a prominent. Perhaps the most prominent of these are the styles of Kumdo that have arisen within schools of Taekwondo where the Kumdo practitioner uses a standardized set of forms to enhance their swordplay skillset. Within this realm of Kumdo, you will witness the practitioner wearing the standard martial art uniform and performing a prescribed set of stances, sword strikes, and kicks defined by the specific form. Commonly, there are a set of ten distinct form patterns that are taught to the students who practice this brand of Kumdo.
           Of course, some of the other modern Korean martial arts systems such as Kuk Sul Won and Hwa Rang Do employ sword training in their curriculum, as well. But, as they are closed martial art organizations, the only people who are taught these techniques are their direct students. Thus, their brand of Kumdo is not as wide spanning as the previously described examples.   

            The key point to understand, regarding Korean Kumdo, is that though there is a commonality in title, Kumdo, this is not an overriding description of this style of martial arts. This is based upon the fact that there are numerous schools and organizations that practice vastly different techniques while all proclaiming that what they do is, Kumdo.

Copyright © 2017 – All Rights Reserved.

For further insight into Kumdo you can also read,

Kumdo: The Korean Art of the Sword on Scott Shaw.com. 

Scott Shaw Hapkido Taekwondo International    

   

Is Deflection Ever Enough?

By Scott Shaw

            I had an interesting experience last night. I was out and this guy, who had a few drinks under his belt, knowing who I am, comes up to me. Trying to break hard in front of his friends he throws a few insults my direction and then sets up to punch me. Before I had the chance to laugh it off and walk away, he unleashes his punch. I blocked it with an open palm upward block to the bottom of his fist.  As I caught it just at the right time, it caused his own fist to be driven into the bottom of his jaw. BAM! Certainly, it was not enough to do him any real damage but what it did do was to cause him to rethink his motivation. After he exclaimed, “Ouch,” he looked at me, smiled, and said, “Much respect.”  I reached out my hand to shake his but, instead, he leaned in and gave me a big hug.

            Now, the outcome of this situation is a rarity.  First of all, this is a very precise blocking technique; you have to be fast, well-focused, and know how to unleash it. But, more than that, in street altercations, it is rare that an attacker is going to concede so easily. Normally, once you have rebuked their initial attack this is only going to make them madder and more adrenalized. This is why you must always question, “Is deflection ever enough?”

            As conscious martial artists, we each enter into any combat situation with the intention of using the most refined method of self-defense that we can employee.  For those of us trained in the deflective arts, this first-line of self-defense is most commonly the use of deflection. But, the problem with simply deflecting an attack it that, in most cases, deflection does not debilitate the attacker. Their attack is simply deflected then they come back for more.

            This is the same with bobbing and weaving. Most adrenalized fighters are so locked into the forceful course of their attack that, for example, if they unleash a punch, the power of that punch controls them as opposed to their controlling it. For this simple reason, it is very easy to move your head slightly out of the path of that punch. Thus, the punch misses you.  

            As those of us who have trained in the fighting arts for long periods of time understand, though we may have the ability to easily deflect or dodge an attack, this does not stop the onslaught of the attacker. At best, it simply gives us the upper hand to counter attack.  But, here lies the problem, this world has become so litigious and filled with dishonest people that even though they may be the one instigating the attack they are going to lie to protect their own self-interest.

            I have written many editorials about this fact. I have also long discussed that, for this reason, it is far better to walk away than to fight in these modern days; as getting arrested just because you can kick somebodies ass serves no purpose to the overall progression of your life nor does it contribute to the great good. The simply fact is, people are liars. Especially, those unconscious enough to only think about themselves and to not take others into consideration.  All they try to do is save face for themselves while inflicting as much pain to other people as possible. Though we all know this is absolutely the wrong way to behave, think how many people act in exactly that manner.

            My secondary advice has always been, if you are accosted and physical combat is brought to you, and there is no way to walk away from it, then allow your attacker to make first contact and then defeat them. By preforming your self-defense in this manner, you are far less likely to end up on the wrong side of the law. I have had students come to class with a black eye and I would inquire, “What happened?” “I let them hit me first, then I took them down,” was the answer. Not ideal but a good way to keep yourself out of legal trouble.

            It is quite commonly a foolish world we we exist within in these modern days, fueled by unconscious, uncaring people; lost in their own lie of self-worth. First of all, fighting is barbaric. There is no reason for it. Secondarily, people are self-centered lairs. Again, there is no reason for it. If you are whole onto yourself, you never need to attack any-one by any-means for any-reason.

            So, what is the moral of this editorial? If you are accosted and you want to win the confrontation at any cost, then quickly punch your opponent first, with full-force in their face. This will, most probably, knock them to the ground. But, this is not the way of the spiritual warrior. To be whole and true to yourself, you needed to understand the motivation of the other person, you need to care, and then you need to only defend yourself once you are physically attacked, and only with the minimum amount of expended energy.

            Is deflection enough? Rarely. But, in times like the aforementioned situation, it was. Thus, never fight unless you have to fight. Then, only deflect and let your attackers own negative energy lead to their demise.

Copyright © 2016 – All Rights Reserved

Originally from The Scott Shaw Blog

Scott Shaw Hapkido Taekwondo International 

The Historical Background of the Korean Martial Arts in English and French By Scott Shaw

Here is Scott Shaw's, The Historical Background of the Korean Martial Arts, published in both English and French. Click on the link to read the dissertation.

http://tae.kwon.do.free.fr/index.php?static/Histoire-des-Arts-Martiaux-Coreens-Par-Scott-Shaw

Remove All the Extras

By Scott Shaw

            In every school of the martial arts, particularly those that teach a traditional system of self-defense, the students are taught a plethora of techniques. They are taught how to stand, how to punch, how to kick and in some cases how to joint lock and throw. They are taught these techniques and then they practice these techniques over-and-over again in order to develop exacting precision with each of them. Once they have learned these techniques they are then graded at how well they perform them. Thus, the martial art belt ranking system. As one moves their way through the martial arts, they do the same techniques over-and-over again as they are told this is the only way to gain true mastery over them. There is one very large problem in this equitation, however. The teacher who teaches them has most likely never been in an adult street fight. Thus, they have no true understanding as to whether or not they actually work. They are told that they do. They teach their students that they do. But, they have no first-hand knowledge.

            When a student of the martial arts is preforming one of the forms or katas of their system, striving for exacting precision is essential. At martial art competitions or demonstrations there are some practitioner who do what they do with exquisite beauty and perfection. Is this a part of the martial arts? Yes, it is. Is this part of the, “Martial,” “War-like,” part of the martial arts? Not really.

            There is a great divide between performing a specific technique with exacting precision and using that same technique as a tool of self-defense. In the classroom and on the demonstration floor, technique perfection is what is sought after. In physical combat, however, the belief that a specific technique must be preformed in an exacting manner is what may cause the student of the martial arts to lose a fight.

            There is an old saying among practitioners of Aikido and it can stretch across all of the various styles of the martial arts, “Thank you for letting me throw you.” If you have watched and studied the techniques used in an Aikido demonstration, (or any other style of the martial arts that focuses on elaborate throwing techniques), you will understand that though they are beautiful to watch they would not work in street combat. You are not going to cause a two-hundred-pound attacker to fly effortless through the air. And, this is just one exaggerated example. If you begin to break down any of the very-formalized techniques within your system of self-defense you will soon discover that in the rapid and undefined movements of a street fight the more you stick to structure and formality the less effective your techniques become.

            The martial arts are a great training ground to teach your body how to move and perform techniques that they average person does not understand. This being said, there is a grand illusion that simply because an individual can perform a perfect side kick in the studio that it would be effective on the street.  

            The martial arts, themselves, project this illusion. It is believed that the practitioner can defeat any opponent due to their ongoing training and the mental and physical development they gain in their school by preforming each technique over-and-over again as exactingly as possible. Again, this is where we must come to understand that there is a great difference between an idealized understanding of the martial arts and a practical one.

            As MMA has come to be embraced more-and-more over the past two decades, traditional martial art practitioners have been given the opportunity to witness, within the confines of a controlled environment, what one-on-one street combat actually looks like. It is not pretty. It is not defined. And, there are no rules. The two opponents do whatever it is they can do to win.

            From this understanding, within you own training facility, it may be time for you to begin to put aside the tradition of attempting to perform each technique a perfectly as possible. At least in association with your understanding of true self-defense.  If you want to know what truly works within your system, put it to the test. Glove up and let your opponent actually try to punch you. See which of your traditional punching defenses actually works. Do they same with kicks, body grabs and choke holds. Do not allow your opponent to know what self-defense you are going to employee nor allow him to react in the expected manner. Instead, make it like an actual street fight. Then, take it to the mat. Get in a ground fight for this is where many a street fight ends up. Do this, for this is the only way you will ever understand what truly does and does not work within your system of self-defense.  Once you have defined what does and does not work, in actual combat, you will then know what additional training you will need to prepare yourself if an actual street fight finds you.

            Every school of martial arts has a set of basic, intermediate, and advanced techniques that it teaches its students. Learn those techniques. Master those techniques and then put them to the test, leaving the extras behind. From this, you may emerge as a true martial artist.

Copyright © 2016 – All Rights Reserved

Remove All the Extras @ Scott Shaw.com

Scott Shaw Hapkido Taekwondo International 

Learning How to Take a Punch By Scott Shaw

By Scott Shaw

            At the heart of any form of physical hand-to-hand combat training is the developed ability to emerge victorious from a physical altercation. The various schools of self-defense each have the own set of developed techniques. Some are street-worthy and very effective; some not so much. The fact is, most schools of traditional martial arts teach a method of self-defense that is far less street-worthy than the teachers of the systems would ever admit. In class, all practice sessions are very orchestrated and expected. If there is sparring at the school, it is generally light or no-contact. Though the practitioners of these systems certainly come to master a heightened sense of physical movement, in many cases, when paired against a savvy street fighter they are quickly defeated as they do not know how to react to rapid and very directed physical assaults.

            Boxing is an ideal self-defense system where the practitioner quickly learns how to react to a specific type of assault. They get punched and they punch back. Simple but very effective. But, more than just that, a boxer learns how to take a punch and this is one of the most essential elements in the training of any fighter. You have to be able to take a punch and immediately continue on afterwards with your necessary self-defense or any defensive technique you may have learned at the dojo becomes useless.

            When the Asian martial arts hit the Western shores after World War II: karate, judo, and jujitsu became the idealized forms of self-defense. In the movies, the practitioner of a traditional form of martial arts always defeated their opponent. When taekwondo hit the West in the 1960s, its beautiful kicks again came to redefine what was possible with self-defense. But, again, if a stylized practitioner of these systems was put up against a competent boxer or seasoned street fighter they would, more than likely, be defeated.

            The reason for this is very simply, within any street fight the rules go out the window. All that matters is what works. People who have actually gone hand-to-hand with other fighters, on a frequent basis, are the ones who most clearly understand this and it is they who immediately, without thought, adapt to whatever is being thrown at them by their opponent. If they get hit, they know how to take that punch and not let it debilitate them. They simply move forward with the fight. This, while the stylized practitioner thinks about what they should be doing and why. It is this mindset that ultimately leads to the street fighter emerging victorious in a competition against a trained traditional martial artist.

            Throughout the 1960s and onward, more-and-more traditional martial arts practitioners began to open their minds and their styles to allowing other influences to come into play.  They would study what other systems had to offer and then integrate that ideology into their own system of self-defense.  Though schools of traditional martial arts are still in abundance, more and more training facilities emphasis leaving behind formalized tradition and learning what works and how best to use it.

            Here lies they ideal training platform that should be integrated into every school of self-defense. Teach your students the basics and then allow them to go hand-to-hand in a non-defined, unexpected manner, (within a controlled environment, of course). Let them learn what it feels like to actually fight. From this, they will emerge as true martial artists and ideal combat technicians.

            For anyone who has followed by writings on the fighting arts over the past three decades they understand that my focus has always been on developing and using what works best for you. Learn your techniques, study your environment, study your opponent, and then do what you must do to defeat them. I have long detailed the necessity of landing the first strike as that may be all it takes to emerge victorious from any confrontation. But, as time has moved on, I have come to enjoy studying the more refined elements of my opponent’s combat skills and then deciding how best to overcome their attack. To understand this, let me explain…

            Every person you enter into a physical altercation with has their own set of predisposed skills and fighting techniques.  With most people, they have virtually none. They will either come at you throwing wild punches or if they have no developed skills at all, they will try to tackle you. But, once on the ground, they have no idea what to do next. In each case, they immediately show their hand. They implicitly tell you what they are capable of doing. And, more importantly, of what they are not capable of doing. 

            Of course, there is the other side of the issue; this is where you come face-to-face with a highly trained fighter. Whether they come from the traditional martial arts, MMA, boxing, or something else, again, what they are going to initially unleash at you is their best technique. Meaning, if they have a really powerful side kick or a highlight developed right hook, they are not going to walk up and slap you. They are going to attempt to hit you as hard as they can with that technique for that is the best they have to offer.

            From my person perspective, what I have truly learned from is to let the opponent unleash their best technique. Once they do, then you know what they have – you understand what they can do. From this understanding, the moment they unleash their secondary attack, they have already illustrated how they can most easily be defeated.

            Certainly, this method of self-defense can be precarious if you go face-to-face with a highly trained fighter. But, most people who would step up to you aren’t highly trained fighters. They are simply an adrenaline filled individual, lost in their own anger. And, this is why they can easily be defeated. By keeping your focus, studying their technique and movement, you can quickly and consciously defeat them by understanding what they will most likely next unleash and then countermanding it with the most appropriate technique in your arsenal.

            At the heart of all self-defense training is learning to anticipate and then defeating your attacker. Yes, if you are a trained practitioner you can go up and probably easily knock a person out with one punch or kick. But, what is the fun in that? Moreover, as I always warn my students, that style of self-defense leaves you highly vulnerable to legal repercussions. On the other hand, if you allow your assailant to be the attacker, then you are simply defending yourself and personal self-defense is always legal.  

            Most people train in the fighting arts in order to learn how to defeat an opponent in the most expedient manner possible. This is fine. You should learn all the basics from kicks, to punches, to take-downs, to joint locks, and most importantly deflections. Plus, you need to know how to take a punch! But, once all that has been understood, then you must come to understand the individual body mechanics of each style of attack.  From this, you gain the ability to consciously observe your opponent while not being overpowered by them and then defeat them in the most appropriate manner, dictated by their own defined style of attack which you have previously witnessed.

            Practice with this in your training environment. You will find that it will make you a much more competent martial artist.

Copyright © 2015 – All Rights Reserved

Learning How to Take a Punch @ Scott Shaw.com

Scott Shaw Hapkido Taekwondo International

Ego, Dominance, and Defending Against the Sucker Punch

By Scott Shaw

            Recently, here in the Los Angeles area, there was an incident where an Uber driver was attacked from behind by the passenger in his car. Luckily, the driver had a dash-cam recording the entire attack.  The passenger sat there smacking the driver from behind over and over and over again. It was very troubling to watch for just like the coward who accosts a person from behind with a sucker punch, being seat-belted into your car seat and attacked from behind leaves you in an extremely vulnerable position. The attacker was wearing a short sleeved shirt and you could see that he worked out, so the attack had to be very painful. Due to the fact that the attack was recorded, the passenger was arrested, was fired from his senior position at a fast food company, and, in addition to facing several charges, is being sued by the driver.

            If we look at this situation more clearly we easily come to see that no matter what instigated the attack on the driver, the attacker was using his positioning to his advantage – knowing that he would easily emerge victorious as how can a person effectively defend themselves from the position that the driver found himself in?  This is simply a coward’s way to fight.

            As martial artists I believe that we must truly study our own inner nature and come to clearly define the person we are when we find ourselves in any physical confrontation. Certainly, one of the primary reasons for studying the martial arts is to gain a mastery of self-defense. But, many practitioners go far beyond this understanding and simply use their skills to beat up other people. This is simply the wrong mindset to possess as you move your way towards martial arts mastery. 

            If you are a trained fighting practitioner and you use your skills to defeat an opponent simply to stroke your own ego or to falsely attempt to prove to yourself that you are better than someone else, then you are missing the entire point of martial arts training. You are simply walking down the path of ego in an attempt to fill a void that exist somewhere inside of you where you desire to be dominant over other people.

            The truth be told, this ego driven mindset it very common in the martial arts. Everywhere you go you will hear a certain caliber of martial artist disusing how their style, their school, their teacher, or they personally are the very best. You will hear people saying that some other practitioner is not as a good as them. In fact, you will witness many lies or altered truths being spoken about other martial artists simply to make themselves, their teacher, or their school appear to be better. Though this is a common practice, it is sheer foolishness and this style of behavior is, in fact, against the entire inner teachings of the martial arts.

            What I always suggest to an individual who wishes to gage a person’s true inner knowledge about the martial arts is to simply listen to them. What do they have to say about other people, other students, and other instructors? Is their dialog based upon who is better and who is worse? Is it based upon criticism? Or, is it based upon mutual understanding and respect? Listen to a person and you will know who they truly are.

            An individual’s developed mindset defines how a person will react to the physical elements of this world. Yes, there is conflict. For this reason, a martial artist trains their body to effectively encounter any style of physical attack. But, once the attack has been nullified, it is what the martial arts does next that defines who they truly are.

            As I often discuss, as a martial artist you train your body to effectively defeat an attacker. But, what is the limit of effective self-defense? Is it letting them know that they cannot over power you? Or, is it you beating the crap out of them?

            In a physical altercation it is quite easily understood how some people, when they are being attacked, block and then hit and hit again until their attacker lies knocked out and motionless on the ground. As a martial artist you certainly possess the ability to do just that. But, is that the best strategy? I do not believe it is. Yes, you defend yourself. But, you only need to do that until your opponent has come to understand that you can and will defeat him. Then, you halt your counterattack for you have made your point. You do not have to hurt them further simply to hurt them. This is the true essence of the martial arts.

            At the heart of your martial arts training must be your inner development. Yes, learn how to block, deflect, joint lock, kick, punch, and throw but consciously allow yourself to move beyond that level of physicality. Become more. Never become like the person who beat on an Uber driver from behind. Never be the person who unleashes a sucker punch. Defend yourself if you need to but do not allow your ego, via your martial art training, to cause you to hurt a person unnecessarily, no matter who or what that person may be, just because you can.

Copyright © 2015 – All Rights Reserved

 Originally from the Scott Shaw Blog

Scott Shaw Hapkido Taekwondo International

Ego, Dominance, and Defending Against the Sucker Punch @ Scott Shaw.com