More Kids Requirements

I’ve been doing more work on the kids requirements.  What follows is a write up of the 10 fighting principles that appear on the kids requirement list.  Give it a read and give me some feedback.  Thanks!  Because I cut and pasted it, there’s no formatting – so please forgive he lack of presentation.

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Fighting Principles.
The fighting principles are a set of strategies designed to help students think creatively about problem solving. While each principle is associated with a particular rank, all of the principles are useful to students of all ranks. The expectation is that the higher rank a student becomes, the deeper their understanding and ability to apply the fighting principles both inside the school and outside in the real world in non-fighting situations.

Set ups.

What is it?
A set up is getting ready for something.

Where does it come up in class?
Every time a student steps on the floor, they salute in. The idea behind this is to help the student put themselves in the right state of mind to train. It is a set up.

How do you train set ups outside of class?
When you know what is coming next, take the extra step and get ready for it. One of the easiest set ups you can practice is getting yourself ready for the next day before you go to sleep. Think about what tasks you are going to do tomorrow and pack up whatever things you need to accomplish those tasks so that when you wake up, you are ready to go.

Position.

What is it?
Position is where you are relative to everything else. If you are working with a partner, position may refer to how close the two of you are to one another and if they are in front of you, behind you, on top of you or beside you.

Where does it come up in class?
When you are sparring, you are more likely to score points against your partner if you are slightly off to their side, where you are facing them but they are turned slightly away from you. That is getting good position on someone. You get this great position by drilling footwork, fakes, timing and by doing lots of actual sparring.

How can you train position outside of class?
Whenever you are inside a new building, check and see if you know where the exits are. If there were an emergency, would you know the quickest way out? This practice will increase your awareness of positioning.

Bridging the gap.

What is it?
If there is a space between you and a goal, that space is the “gap” and the way you safely get across that space is the “bridge”.

Where does it come up in class?
If you are sparring with a partner in class and tag your partner without them tagging you, then you have bridged the gap successfully.

How can you drill bridging the gap outside of class?
In any game that has a goal, can you cover the distance before your opponents get you? Can you kick the soccer ball into the goal without the goalie stopping you? Can you get the basketball into the hoop despite the other team’s defense?

Combinations.

What is It?
A combination is when you put two or more things together. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a combination. A roundhouse kick with a backfist right after it is a combination.

Where does it come up in class?
Lots of the drills done in class are all about learning how to combine techniques and principles. For example, if class starts off with some practice around framing, then moves into how to throw an uppercut and finishes with partner work where you frame against an incoming punch and then fire an uppercut back, you’ve spend the whole class building a combination.

How can you drill combinations outside of class?
When you prepare food for yourself, what kinds of things do you like to put together? Can you expand the combinations that you eat at lunchtime or snacktime? Observe what foods other people combine in a single meal. Can you make up a new combination that is tasty?

Angle of attack.

What is it?
The angle of attack refers to the path an attack takes to get from the starting point to the end point. The angle of attack can be a straight line, a curve, a series of twists and spins or any other possible path that goes from point A to point B.

Where does it come up in class?
If you end up working with many partners in class that are all of different heights but you throw straight punches of all of their chins, you will have varied up your angle of attack in order to keep the same target. If you are asked to throw punches at your partner’s chin, you throw a straight punch and then they put their hands in the way then you might be able to throw an uppercut to get at their chin. This would be an example of changing the angle of your attack. You might also be able to reach their chin if you take a diagonal step forward then throw a straight punch. This would also be an example of changing your (starting point) angle of attack.

How can you drill angle of attack outside of class?
If you always walk the same way from your house to the swimming pool in the summer, try changing the way you get there. If you always talk about the same things over and over with your brother, try bringing up something new. Change your angle of attack. You might see or learn something interesting when you do.

Faking.

What is it?
Faking is getting your partner to expect one thing is coming but then to give them something else.

Where does it come up in class?
Anytime you are working competitive drills in class, faking is an invaluable tool. If you are sparring, try convincing your partner you are going to throw a backfist by moving your lead hand slightly but then throw a kick instead. If you are grappling, try convincing your partner you are going to scissor sweep them one direction by starting to set up the sweep but then quickly change and go the opposite direction.

How can you drill faking outside of class?
Almost every sport involves fakes. Next time you watch a game (live or on screen) see if you can spot when one player or team uses a fake successfully against another player or team. See if you can spot when a fake fails. What makes some fakes work and others fail?

Economy of motion.

What is it?
Using the least amount of effort to accomplish your goal.

Where does it come up in class?
When a kick comes low for your legs, it is generally better to block using your legs than your arms (better still to move out of the way). If you use your arms, you usually end up reaching pretty far and leaving a big opening for your partner to hit you in the head. If you use a small motion with your leg to block, no such large opening is created. Less movement = less effort = economy of motion.

How can you train economy of motion outside of class?
See if you can communicate more concisely. Instead of using 100 words to answer a question, try using 10. Instead of using 10 words, trying using 1. Instead of using one word, try using body language. It won’t always work and it might even annoy some people, but it can be a fun way of figuring out how efficient you can be (economy of words).

Constant forward pressure.

What is it?
If you are presented with one problem to solve, and given time and space to figure it out, you can sometimes solve it. If, however, you are given several problems, one following the other, with little or no space or time between them, things become much more difficult.

The idea of presenting your partner with more and more problems and giving them no time to solve them is constant forward pressure.

Where does it come up in class?
Part of becoming a more competent martial artist is learning how to solve an incoming host of problems. In class, when you practice basics, then play a game, then do drills and then conditioning, are you able to stay calm and focused? If you are, then you are managing constant forward pressure from your teacher.

How can you train constant forward pressure outside of class?
When you have a big project to complete, try attacking it from start to finish without stopping. This unrelenting effort is constant forward pressure.

Timing.

What is it?
Timing means applying a technique at the correct moment to makes it work.

Where does it come up in class?
It is one thing to understand a technique. It is another thing to be able to recognize when, against an actively resisting opponent, you can make it work. In general, the closer a drill is to live sparring, the better it will be at developing timing. As an example, it is relatively easy to hit a heavy bag with a roundhouse kick, more difficult to hit a moving focus pad and much more challenging to hit a sparring partner who does not want to get kicked. You won’t develop timing when you are working against the heavy bag because you can kick at any time and expect to hit it.

How can you train timing outside of class?
Jumping rope is a fabulous way to develop timing on your own. Practice yields smaller jumps and a more efficient action with the arms. When you can do 100 in a row, try making the skill more complex (and thus more challenging to your timing) by practicing alternating singles (one foot on the ground at a time).

Uncertainty.

What is it?
Fighting is unpredictable. We do not get to choose how our partners will resist us. As such, it is helpful to acknowledge the fact that we can not know how everything is going to go and that it is best to stay aware, relaxed and adapt to the situation at hand.

Where does it come up in class?
Suppose you do a drill in which you know your partner is going to throw a particular punch and you are going to throw a particular defense. In this instance, everything is certain. But, if your partner can throw one of three different punches, things have become much less certain and you (in order to not get hit) must watch and respond to what is happening. If your partner can throw any punch, kick, throw, sweep or lock they want, things have suddenly become very uncertain (but hopefully more exciting and fun).

How can you train uncertainty outside of class?
Do not assume that because things have always gone a certain way in the past that they will necessarily go the same way the next time. Savor those times when the situation moves you outside of certainty and familiarity. Stay aware. Stay present. If you have a familiar and easy way of solving a problem, try a different way to help yourself stay in the moment.