3 Things To Consider for Those Wishing To Improve Their Martial Arts Game

Distance. Footwork. Timing.

Photo by Daniil Zanevskiy from Unsplash.com

Yesterday in our local Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym we had a guest. He was a man in his 60s: a calm, humble, and well-centered person. Our couch previously told us that on this day we’ll have a boxing class, but what he did not tell us was that the person he invited is also a black belt of the Filipino martial arts: Kali/Arnis/Eskrima. Needless to say, the seminar was amazing. We practiced not only empty-handed combat but also some basic flows with knives and kali sticks.

During the seminar, I had a chance to train with the guest coach himself, as he partnered me in some of the drills. During the few moments of small-talk, he reminded me of a couple of very important martial arts concepts. Some of them were that: I have to think about how to disrupt my opponent’s centerline while protecting mine; I should evaluate the quarter from which an attack is coming and respond appropriately (the theory of 4 gates), that I need to control the distance, use appropriate footwork to get myself in a superior position, and get a better feel of the rhythm/timing.

Today, I would like to talk about why each of these aspects is important not just in Eskrima or Boxing, but also in any other martial art. Let’s start with talking about distance.

Control the distance

To strike an opponent you have to be within reach. This is common knowledge. Yet, what kind of reach can be described as striking distance (which can be further divided into kicking and punching distance), and which distance is considered as wrestling distance? What about weapon distance?

Many martial arts have their own terms to describe the reach between you and your opponent. In boxing you can hear terms such as in-boxing, out-boxing, staying in the pocket, being in close quarters and so on. It’s very important to know the specificities of every of the aforementioned distance types as it might aid you to do the right things at the right time instead of reacting poorly. As the popular saying goes:

He who controls the distance controls the fight.

Photo by Jonathan Tomas from Unsplash.com

Without feeling the distance, you will not be able to land attacks, move in and out of your opponent’s reach, or defend against your opponent’s strikes and takedowns. Only when you develop a sense of distance will you know how to respond appropriately to a given situation on the mat or in the ring.

When thinking about distance it is also important to consider some of the less conventional areas for striking. The head, body, legs and groin are not the only targets for which one can aim. There are also fingers, wrists, knees, shoulders, biceps, triceps, eyes, throat, and other areas that can be exposed to attacks while the opponent is thinking about the more traditional targets. In Filipino and Indonesian martial arts attacking the softer parts of the body (i.e. biceps) is often referred to as “gunting” and might be worthwhile to look into for further investigation.

Controlling the grips is also another important aspect of distance management. If you have superior grips (say in judo, wrestling, sambo, or jiu-jitsu) you will be able to do things to your opponent while simultaneously not allowing him or her to do them to you. Coupled with an ability to break the other’s posture, grip control is a great way to win positions, set up attacks and dictate the pace.

p.s. Because I don’t feel qualified to talk about weapon defence, I will not go into subjects relating to firearms. Yet, developing a sense for empty-hand or cold weapon combat might help you to understand some fundamental principles that might be later transferred to your shooting practice as well.

Develop your footwork

Even if one is able to feel the distance between him and his opponent, that does not mean much if the person is not able to get within reach to land his own attacks. For this reason, having good footwork (movement) skills is a precondition for taking a superior position in relation to one’s opponent. Here, the real game of wits begins. How will you use movement to get better angles? How will you hit and not be hit? How will you disrupt your opponent’s balance while maintaining yours?

Here it is very important to understand what is your and your opponent’s Center Line and how to employ this knowledge to your advantage.

In a nutshell, the center line is is a concept that Bruce Lee popularized through teaching his art of Jeet Kune Do, yet he learned about it through practicing Wing Chun.

The Center Line refers to an imaginary line that runs down the center of one’s body, starting from the top of the head, continuing between your eyes, down your nose, mid-chest, the solar plexus, groin, and all the way down to the floor. Along this line are vital points that are targets for attack. For this reason, you should always protect your center line, while attempting to move away from and disrupt the center line of your opponent.

Picture taken from Por Phoenix’s comment on Quara

Minor adjustments in footwork are extremely important. If one is able to get a superior position or angle, he or she will be much more effective in landing strikes, performing takedowns, or intercepting the attacks of one’s opponent.

The photo was taken from Pinterest

Sense the timing

The last piece of the puzzle is probably the trickiest one. If you have already learnt to read the distance and move into and out of range as you please, now you have to start feeling when to do it. Not every situation requires you to attack, just like not all positions can be used appropriately if you just stand still and defend. For this reason, knowing when to perform an action is just as important as knowing how to do it. As said by Fulton J. Sheen

“Patience is power. Patience is not an absence of action;
rather it is “timing”. It waits on the right time to act, for the right principles, and in the right way.”

To use it efficiently, timing has to become almost a 6th sense. It is not something that you develop just by reading about it. It is something that comes with many hours of training, sparring, rolling, and fighting. That is why I encourage you to pack up your kimono or sports clothes, fill up your bottle of water, look up the timetable for today’s practice, and get ready to implement some of the previously read material into your own practice.

Taken from Pinterest. Uploaded by Felix Chong

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