CALLING YOUR SHOTS

 by Phillip Starr

This article is for those of you who want to improve your own or your student's sparring skills. If you watch sparring in many (perhaps most) martial arts schools (especially in the West) or tournaments, what you'll witness is a poorly executed version of kickboxing, slipshod muay thai, or just a vigorous schoolyard slugfest. Technique and tactics have gone out the window and there is no relationship between what's going on (sparring) and the forms taught in the system.

Most aspects of our arts are taught progressively, starting at a very basic level and moving gradually towards more advanced levels. However, in most martial arts schools nowadays, this isn't the case with sparring. In some cases, students are introduced to sparring within the first couple of weeks after starting class! It's absurd and only leads to the development of bad habits or discouragement.

Basic formal fight routines prepare students for sparring. It's imperative that they learn to begin these exercise(s) at the proper distance; that is, the attacker should be able to touch the receiver with his technique in a single step. If they begin too close or too far away, the whole routine is pointless.

Once they become comfortable with the exercises, it's critical that the attacker tries to touch them with his attacking technique. And it's important that the attacker has the INTENTION to strike his partner with great force. He won't actually DO it, of course, but the intention must be there!

Students should begin by practicing 3-step fight routines, which teach them basic applications of the fundamental techniques and, to a lesser degree, how to step forward and backward correctly.

3-Step routines, which quickly become very boring, teach more than just how to use the basic techniques. They:

• teach the student proper use of distance. If, by the 2^nd or 3^rd attack the students find themselves too close or too far from each other, the receiver's distancing is flawed and he must learn to correct it.

• At an advanced stage, they are used to teach proper rhythm and timing. This is shown in my book, MARTIAL MANEUVERS.

  
  
  

1-Step routines are introduced only after students have acquired considerable skill in basic 3-step. There are no short-cuts. I remember practicing 3-step for at least 6 months before being permitted to attempt 1-step, which teaches:

• Applications of various techniques

• Use of special tactics, body shifting, and footwork

• Polishes timing and rhythm

After students become skilled at 1-step, freestyle 1-step may be introduced. This training exercise is invaluable and hones everything to very fine edge. I made my advanced students practice it in almost every class. There are several ways of doing it:

1. Attack is specified. Defense also specified.

2. Attack specified. Defense free.

3. Attack unspecified. Defense specified.

4. Attack unspecified. Defense free.

   
   
   

It must be practiced just so:

1. One participant serves as Attacker and the other is the Receiver.

2. They begin at a distance of 6-8 ft. apart and bow as if they are sparring. Then they adopt fighting stances.

3. They are free to move around as if they were sparring.

4. The Receiver will not strike at the Attacker until the Attacker attacks.

5. An attack is any penetration of the Receiver's “defense perimeter.” This includes penetration by technique, or a (usually inadvertent) movement of the Attacker that causes him the penetrate the defense perimeter of the Receiver in any way (even if he doesn't fire an attacking technique).

6. Therefore, both participants must be acutely sensitive to distance (their defense perimeters) at all times.

7. The Attacker will do his best to score on the Receiver with a single, appropriate technique in perfect form and power, as well as stability. Then he freezes in place.

8. The Receiver will defend himself with an appropriate single technique, delivering it in perfect form and with adequate power, timing, and stability. Then he freezes in place so the teacher can check his form, balance, stance, etc.

9. If the Attacker makes an attack and the receiver fails to immediately deliver a counter-attack, it is counted as a miss.

10. If either participants executes a technique that lacks adequate power, control, stance, stability, timing, or if the distance is to close or too far, or is something other than a valid martial arts technique, it is counted as a miss.

    
    
    

So the attack must be sudden and without a “telegraph” and the counter-attack must be letter perfect as well. Both participants must strive to do their absolute best and use textbook-perfect technique. This develops razor-sharp reflexes, timing, and stresses perfect technique. I liken the difference between this and the way most students spar nowadays to the difference between playing “slop pool” and “calling your shots.” A player of billiards who can call his shots with success will always beat one who plays “slop pool” (just shooting the ball out there and hoping it hits something).

And I maintain that acquiring skill in freestyle 1-step is considerably more difficult than sparring. There is no bouncing away and out of range when the attack comes; you must deal with it immediately and effectively. Hopping up and bopping your opponent on the head with a floppy backfist won't cut it, either. Your response must be as perfect as possible. Freestyle 1-step is the bridge between your forms and sparring. Don't ignore it.