Martial Strategy *Kipping Pull-Ups*

Read a text about any major martial art and you are almost certain to encounter the notion that the art is designed so that a smaller, slower practitioner can subdue a stronger, faster opponent. How is this possible?

There are, doubtless, hundreds of answers to that question but the one we touched on in class today was that of strategy. If you’re opponent is bigger than you, they are going to have no problem going toe to toe. They’ll stand there and trade punches with you and they’ll win. The solution then is not to go (or at least not stay) right in front of them. Angle off, take the weak side, get to their side or back.

Ah! But they are faster too! Every time you try and slide around to the side, they turn! Then the next step is using strategically placed hits to help turn them, so that you have to use less footwork to get around to the back. One easy one is to kick them in the side of the knee. The knee buckles and they turn to the side! Perfect! Now is the time to slide around to the back and keep yourself there.

Continuing on the theme of strategy, we went over the kipping pull up. Why kip? Because all that matters is if you can get yourself up and over the obstacle – in this case the pull up bar. Kipping is an efficient way to do that. Kipping is, therefore, a strategy. Now why did the students have to inchworm up to the bar? That was simply my strategy for giving them a good workout.