Defending the lowline..

K

Kev

Joined
Nov 13, 1999
Messages
128

Hi,

Just wonder what you "guys" position is on defending the lowline(below the waist). Do you rely solely on footwork.. or do you actively block/parry/redirect?

I think the best tactic is to use footwork to avoid any lowline attack.... although I sometimes instictively try to block/deflect lowline attacks.
A habit I'm trying to break. I think that dropping your stick just leaves you too open up top. The lateral triangle seems to do the trick here (i.e.-move the lead foot to the rear position). Another sweeeeet response is to do the Illustrisimo cross step.... when the opponents attacks your lead leg, cross step your lead leg back and respond with a highline counter. This effectively removes the target while remaining in range to counter.

A very good drill to work the evasive footwork is slap sparring to the legs. The only legal target is the legs.. so you defend your legs thru footwork, deflections, and parries while trying to score on your sparring partner. Good isolation drill.

JMO....
~Kev

 
Kev,

I must agree with you. One of the best tactic is to use footwork. Never had a problem with a lowline attack myself. Sidestepping and hitting your opponents head while he/she hits you on the leg is a good trade off. One thing ya' have to watch is your head and arms w/c is always a vulnerable target.

Rml

[This message has been edited by Rommel (edited 01-13-2000).]
 
Kev and Rommell,

I agree with the both of you about the use of footwork to defend the lowline. I would like also to mention in the footwork the use of the stop kick from JKD. It is a very useful techniques as it abruptly interrupts their flow and allows you to gain an opportune momment of time. I also like to block with my knee to the incoming opponets leg, which keeps me from bending down to block with my hands as in a downward block. This leg block is based on angulations and evasions. A good technique once properly learned...
 
If the attack is directed at the knee or higher on the lead leg, I deflect it using the "Four Walls". The "Four Walls" is a very quick and effective deflection system.

If the attack is directed below the knee of the lead leg, I just kick myself in the butt with the lead foot
wink.gif
Seriously, the knee stays in place as the foot comes up and the heel literally hits me in the butt. It's a very quick way to remove the target while you remain in range to counter-attack. It's kind of like a boxer's weave, but with the feet.

If the attack is so deep that it's going to hit my rear leg, I'd either side step and deflect with the "Four Walls" (if it's knee or higher) or jump over it if it's below the knees.

Respectfully,

Dave Fulton



------------------
Full Contact Martial Arts Association.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."




[This message has been edited by Dave Fulton (edited 01-21-2000).]
 
Dave,

Could you describe your Four Walls deflection
if you don't mind, it may be possible that I may or may not be familiar with this, but neverless I'm still curious.

Slayer...
 
Originally posted by SlayerPlayer:
Could you describe your Four Walls deflection if you don't mind, ....
Click to expand...

Slayer,

I'll give it a shot, but you know how descriptions of techniques can be
wink.gif


For the sake of this description, let's assume a right lead with stick in right hand - but can be done on either side.

Let's start with deflecting a blow to your upper body coming from your left. Hold your stick out in front of you and make sure there's a 90 degree angle between your stick and forearm, and another 90 between your forearm and the largest knuckle of your index finger (the knuckle that you hit with in a standard fist). Position your elbow in close to your body, with the punyo in front of your right hip. Aim the tip of your stick at your opponent's center-line. NOTE: the tip will now be aimed (more/or less) at the center of their face. Place your open left hand on top of the base of the thumb and wrist of the right hand. As the blow comes, you shift the punyo to the left hip, as you keep your 90 degree angles, the elbow close, tip on their center-line etc. At the moment of impact roll your wrist in the direction the blow is coming from. NOTE: the shifting of the punyo is affected body rotating the upper body. To deflect a blow coming from your right, shift the punyo back to your right hip. To deflect on the low line, just turn your wrist over so that the tip of your stick is aimed at their center-line and their feet. By shifting from side to side, on the high & low lines you have the "Four Walls" or "Cuatro Cantos" of Pekiti-tirsia.

Key points: maintain the 90's; keep the elbow close to your body; keep the tip pointed at their center line and the punyo in front of your hips; move your body around the tip of your stick; and roll the wrist at the moment of impact. "Side Stepping" footwork can be added to aide in moving your body around the tip of your stick.

As you shift from side to side (keeping the tip on their center-line and punyo on your hips) you'll see that your stick defines triangles between your body and theirs. This turns your stick into a wedge that deflects on the high & low lines.

To practice, have an opponent throw horizontal strikes on the high/and or low lines as well as diagonal strikes on the low lines as you move in on them. I personally don't like it against a high line diagonal strike. I prefer to cut those.

This is a very effective corto range deflection, that when done correctly will allow you to literally walk in on your opponent.

I hope my description makes sense. It's much easier to show than to describe.

Respectfully,

Dave Fulton



------------------
Full Contact Martial Arts Association.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."


[This message has been edited by Dave Fulton (edited 01-24-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Dave Fulton (edited 01-24-2000).]
 
i agree that good footwork, evasions and blocks all could work well, but how about using a good offense for your defense?
instead of just sidestepping & block, why not side step & attack your opps hands & body so you could discourage any further attacks.
 
Dave,

Thanks for the excellent description of the four walls. I was able to grasp the motions and angles you explained, and actually performed the motions.

If what you described, and what I performed is correct, then I have been shown a variation of your four walls on the high line called winged serpent.

It basically starts off in the same manner in which you describe, where you meet the incoming strike to the the left, as you roll you hook with the punyo, locking him into an arm bar, then punch with the live hand to the opponets face, then snake off the punch around, his captured arm, releasing the punyo hook to facilitate the snake. Then strike with the punyo to the face.

There is more to finish with, but this should give you an idea, though my descriptions aren't as near detailed as yours. The entry on the lowline is pretty much just as you described.

I was shown another similiar technique from a friend who is a fencer using the rapier sword to defend on the high and low lines, and the angles and hand position you describes are very similiar to those you have shared with me.

Yes this is an effective deflection that does allow one to literally walk in on your opponent.

Thank you for taking the time to describe the Four Walls of Pekiti-tirsia.

Is there any information on the Full Contact Martail Arts Association, or links you can post. Would be interested in checking it out.

Thanks......

Slayer

 
Chinlong,

In Pekiti, there is attack and counter-attack ... nothing else. The "four walls" IS offense. Remember, I said "To practice, have an opponent throw horizontal strikes on the high/and or low lines as well as diagonal strikes on the low lines as you move in on them." If done correctly, I can walk right through a barrage of your strikes and counter attack with thrusts, punyos, disarms, traps, punches, elbows, knees, sikaran kicks and corto range strikes.

Also, footwork is as much a part of offense as it is defense, if not more. To attack strategically, you need to be able to control range and position (relative to your opponent), which is done through footwork. Further, we treat sticks as blades and attempt to avoid the "I'll take one to give one" mentality because with a blade, "trading shots" is, or should be, a last resort.

As for attacking his hands, I know it's possible, but I also think it's heavily OVER-RATED because a properly thrown strike makes it difficult to hit their hand. It's even harder if the person has experience in "Hand Sparring". Put on lacrosse/hockey gloves (and forearm pads to start) and go at it with the only target being the hands. I recommend ALWAYS wearing eye protection and exercising extreme caution when going for the "live" hand since it usually means getting very close to their face. After a while, it should become harder to hit each other's hands as you learn what to do and not to do.

Slayer,

Thanks, I'm glad you were able to follow the description.

I'll have to try the variation you described ... thanks!

A common counter attack that we'd use on a strike from the left is to "four wall", and (as the deflected strike passes by me in more or less it's intended direction), check the elbow (of their weapon arm) with my live hand (very quick movement if it was bracing my weapon hand - see my description) as my weapon hand comes down in front of my right hip so I can launch a thrust to their now exposed abdominal area.

I'm currently working on getting the Full Contact Martial Arts web site up and will let everyone know once it's done. What type of info, are you looking for?

Respectfully,

Dave Fulton



------------------
Full Contact Martial Arts Association.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."


 
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