Having a Plan

Part of self defense is having a plan. To me, the most obvious example of this is fire drill practices at schools. Parents, teachers and administrators know that fires happen. They know that if fires happen and the kids panic, it is much more likely that folks will get hurt. So they have a plan and they practice that plan through fire drills.

As we all know, plans often fall apart. However, having a plan gives you a starting point and helps you resist that initial freeze up moment that often happens to folks in emergencies. Therefore, it is good to have a plan.

Forms are an extreme example of having a plan. If an attacker comes at you in this exact way from this exact angle, then you could do the following counter to them. As we said before, plans are merely a starting point – a way of keeping moving so that we can adapt to the situation unfolding before us.

So then what we are often left with from practicing forms is a WAY of moving. For example, if you watch the video, you’ll see the students making big, sweeping circular motions in the form. Then, you’ll see them adapting this form of movement and hitting the bag with it. The form is a plan. The bag work is adapting that plan to work to the situation at hand.