Master Cuts in sparring, and the Samurai mastercut

[Aaron Pynenberg]

asian martial arts

[leam hall]

Back to the original question, I think there is a gap between drill and successful use that is maintained by differences between the drill and the "real" use.

If we drill on a specific technique in a specific setting our minds learn the feedback from the body that is expected and the mind can quickly process. For each bit that is different the mind has to process the difference and that is what slows the execution down enough to make it not useable in "real" life. Suggestions have already been made, like drilling in sparing gear, and drill with a partner. You might want to pre-arrange some of the partner drill at half ot three-quarter speed to work into it. Each bit of difference we remove is one less the brain has to process. Which is why we train like we fight, and fight like we train".

This also suggests good basics like footwork/balance, practice voiding and coordinating body and blade, and ending in a guard so you're primed for the next move.

[JeanryChandler]

All excellent advice Leam, but isn't it true that there will always remain a gap when you are doing the "hard core" sparring or a real fight? As I mentioned earlier, I notice this seems to definately be the case with all EMA, whenever you see them in tournaments, MMA competitions, and even from personal experience seeing people in street fights.

I guess I'm assuming that we are always learning, there is always more to learn, so as you are still learning new things especially the newest and least familiar will take a while to percolate into your actual repertoire.

Or do you believe that a well trained fighter can use his entire training repertoire in a real fight? Also, a good opponent can often just be very unpredictable...



Jeanry

[Mike Chidester]

Or do you believe that a well trained fighter can use his entire training repertoire in a real fight? Also, a good opponent can often just be very unpredictable...

Well, John says that he does. I know other very effective fighters who, as far as I can tell, do likewise. Not many, but there are some. Think of it this way: what separates the parts of your repertoire that you can use in a fight from those that you can't? Familiarity and practice. Develope both of those enough, and you'll eventually master every technique you know. Personally, very few of the techniques I (intellectually) know can I pull off in serious sparring. But that percentage increases steadily every month.

[JeanryChandler]

what separates the parts of your repertoire that you can use in a fight from those that you can't? Familiarity and practice. Develope both of those enough, and you'll eventually master every technique you know.

Yeah, that makes sense, I certainly agree. The issue then is, I guess, whether there is a finite limit of the techniques you can learn... can you ever learn them all? If not and you keep learning new things, I would think there would always be a gap for most of us.

Well, John says that he does.

Well, my physical condition is so awful compared to some people, I'm just not in the same ball park, I meant for the rest of us, needless to say <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

Jeanry

[Stacy Clifford]

Yeah, that makes sense, I certainly agree. The issue then is, I guess, whether there is a finite limit of the techniques you can learn... can you ever learn them all? If not and you keep learning new things, I would think there would always be a gap for most of us.

In principle you should be able to learn any technique that doesn't require you to be double-jointed or otherwise "special". However, you're probably going to find that there are some techniques you'll almost never use because your body is less cooperative in that direction than other peoples', or everybody's taller than you and it doesn't work on them, or something else like that. Even if you can't use a technique effectively yourself though, you should still try and learn it because you might find yourself trying to counter it one day, and it's much easier to react to something you are familiar with.

[James_Knowles]

there are some techniques you'll almost never use because your body is less cooperative in that direction than other peoples', or everybody's taller than you and it doesn't work on them, or something else like that.

Or you may need to modify how it's executed.

I disovered that working with a slight young woman in our study group. I'm 6'1" and outweigh her by 90-100 pounds.

While practicing one dagger technique out of Codex Wallerstein, I could crank her around like a rag doll, but she couldn't do spit to me.

While trying to figure out how to get leverage against me, instead of stepping behind my foot, she stepped in front of my foot, and proceeded to crank my elbow around good and hard; I couldn't resist that at all.

[Stacy Clifford]

Good point. The masters couldn't write down everything for everybody, so it's always a good idea to experiment with a tough technique to see if you can get it to work for you. As long as it works in a realistic situation with intent, I imagine the old boys would tell you you're good to go.

[leam hall]

I've thought about this and have my answer. Not sure it's a great answer, but it is mine, at the moment. <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

I'm not a "street" sort of person, more the "sit at home and read a book" guy. My wife and I were foster parenting troubled youth at the time and I was a junior instructor at a martial arts school. One of the young men we parented had anger issues and something set him off. He was outside with largish kitchen knife and though I was a tad larger he was more musclar.

My desire was to not get overly hurt, not kill him, and not strike first because of the legal and parenting issues. And a strong hope to not really get anyone hurt if at all possible. So I went though my training and had my short list of options that I felt able to do and would meet my requirements. This was done in a flash because not only was my list short but he had the knife and I didn't feel time to mentally debate the options.

So, was there a larger list of options at the martial arts school? Darn right! I only needed one plan and as few options as I could get. The quicker things were over the less time I had to slip up and get cut.

I think many of the techniques I've been taught at EMA places are acknowledged to be impractical in a real fight. They do, however, push you to train in ways that really stretch your abilities and force you to have the basics down *really well* so you can do all those other neat things. Sometimes we even train to get worse at what we do. The first times a person is sparring they are *so* unpredictable that they are dangerous. Once they start trying to do things right their brain slows down so it can make sure the blade is in the right place, etc. Once we get past that point and let the strike just become a strike it becomes more fluid and relaxed. That's the point we try to get to with our technique.

Hope that helps answer at least part of the question. <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />