18/09/2010 – Legwork Continuation (Angular movements and Combinations), Fundamentals of Bladework

Yet another good session today, but as always, never enough time to do everything I actually wanted.  Still, we got the essentials done and I have the others squirrelled away to cover another day.  The steel blades came out today and despite them being eating knives with blunted tips and not very sharp serrations, they were still enough to give pause and make everyone wake up, which was exactly the effect I was aiming for.  Amazing how a sense of clear and present danger - however ludicrous to the observer - refines movement to the bare minimum necessary.

Also moved on in the TacFit Commando syllabus today.  Mission 2 with lots of twisting evoked some interesting responses after some initial doubts at the deceptively simple level 1 movements.  The Scorpion Crucifix in particular was rather funny to watch - everyone has lots and lots of ambient tension in the anterior chain and spiral line!  More grinding away at immobility before you move on to the sexy stuff, guys.

For homework, I want you all to work on your joint mobility.  While I am gone, you can refer to no less a teacher than Coach Sonnon himself:

Here are the six episodes of the IntuFlow joint mobility series he generously put on his YouTube account.  Follow through and focus on the stuff we do in class, play around with everything as and when you have time.  It's all good to do, but cover the hard basics we do in class first.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1aLdYgfr3M

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmLsRHdNsew

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tri0MtGdbvs

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9cN--Cf5CU

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O40QCK5Qybo

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDWrMXiehTM

 

 

In addition, I want you all to continue working on your rolling and falling.  For those of you with grass allergies, work from your knees on harder ground.  Focus on exhaling through compression and immobility.  Your tensional state is linked to your breath - by disciplining yourselves to exhale through tension and discomfort, you will eventually find ways to flow around the blocks to your flow.

The above two are the primary things I want you to work on.  In addition and secondary to them, I want you to continue working on your fist plank and panther walk, for those who can do the latter.  Also revise the new exercises from Mission 2 - no need to go to maximum intensity every single session, but be sure to do them consistently to groove the movement patterns into your nervous system.

Accessory to all the above, anything at all we've covered in class is fair game.  Keep moving, keep hitting one another, keep breathing and keep form.  I'll see you all when I get back from my two weeks' reservist training.

Objectives

- Understanding the nature of angular leg attacks and flow from one movement to another

- Understanding of ranging in blade usage and defence

- Blade disarms and reversals



Warmup

- IntuFlow basic routine

Conditioning


TacFit Commando Mission 1 – Recruit


1.) Lunge Twist – 20/10 x 8

1min rest

2.) Revolving Table – 20/10 x 8

1min rest

3.) Scorpion Crucifix – 20/10 x 8

1min rest

4.) Bear Squat – 20/10 x 8

1min rest

5.) Rocca Forearm – 20/10 x 8

1min rest

6.) Bridge Clap – 20/10 x 8


Skill-Specific Biomechanical Drills

- Biker flip grip change

- Figure-8 draw cut

- Rolling snap cut

- IntuFlow sophistication – 4-corner leg circles



Structural Drills

- Strike absorption with legs – roundhouse kicks

- 2-step structure break with legs

- Evade on contact with knife – evade to trap

- Evade on contact with knife – evade to trap and takedown/disarm/counter

- 2-step evade knife to trap + takedown/counter/disarm

Ranging Drills


- Ranging versus single knife thrust – slow speed, evade + trap

- Ranging versus single knife thrust – slow speed, evade to trap + takedown/counter/disarm

Asymmetrical Sparring

- Slow-sparring game – knife on knife, to takedown, control or disarm.  Round-robin format.