Training drills in martial arts have been passed from teacher to student for thousands of years. We know from history that armies of fighting soldiers existed back to at least the third millennium BC. These armies helped kings and queens keep and even expand their kingdoms. We don’t know a lot about some of the most ancient training methods, but strong armies would need strong fighters and strong fighters would need to train to fight.
Training to Defend
One of the main differences between the training of soldiers and students in a Grace Martial Arts class is fighting and defending. Soldiers train to fight and kill the enemy, so their training drills emphasize fighting and killing. GMA students train to defend and escape, so their training drills emphasize defending and escaping.
However, that doesn’t mean we want our students to take self defense lightly. An attacker may mean you great bodily harm, even to the point of killing you. So, self-defense drills need to help a student know how to defend themselves in as realistic way as possible, without getting hurt.
We move now to more physical “defensive drills.” Punching and kicking a bag, boards, bricks, or tiles can be helpful, but it’s not the same thing as someone trying to punch or kick you. Students need to be able to stop and stun, or even stop and drop so they can escape to safety.
Remember our four training steps:
- Run
- Escape and run
- Stun and run
- Stop, drop, and run (I also use the phrase “fight and run,” but fighting is always our last resort because you or the other person can be seriously injured in a fight.)
We’ve previously looked at drills for the first two, so let’s move to #3.
Stun and Run Drills
Our goal is to develop drills that can be done with a partner in two seconds or less. That includes performing all five of the defensive movements we use in Yon Ch’uan Martial Arts:
- Yield
- Clear
- Contact
- Control
- Counter
Yield and clear means “evading” an attack. We quickly move back or to the side to evade someone’s grab, punch or kick. Our intent is to quarter the opponent so we are no longer on their center. Contact means “absorbing” some of the attack that may still reach us even as we yield and clear. That’s where we block a grab, punch or kick. Control means “trapping” the grabbing or punching arm or kicking leg. Counter means “stunning, reflecting, or redirecting” the attacker. Counters may include punching, kicking, and trapping that lead to throwing.
As Christian martial artists, our desire is to be as compassionate as possible. If we can redirect an attacker without seriously hurting them, we will.
To achieve our goal of finishing an effective defensive response to an attack, we must work on three things:
- Speed
- Accuracy
- Power
- If we’re fast, but lack accuracy and power, our defense may fail.
- If we’re accurate, but lack speed and power, our defense may fail.
- If we’re powerful, but lack speed and accuracy, our defense may fail.
Partner drills, under the watchful eyes of well-trained instructors, can help students develop their speed, accuracy, and power in ways that promote success and safety for everyone involved.
We first do the drill without a partner (solo drill) to make sure partners know what’s going to happen. Once everyone is clear about the techniques involved, the partner drills begin.
To emphasize the idea of “stun and run,” you can complete the techniques and take several steps in the opposite direction. That helps train you to run to safety after completing each defense.
These drills are from the martial art of Karate-do and Tang Soo Do.
Drill #1
Solo practice — stand in ready position .. step back into a left back stance, execute a left high block and right reverse high punch at the same time, then step forward and thrust kick with the right foot to the mid-section .. repeat drill 20 times
Solo practice — stand in ready position .. step back into a right back stance, execute a right high block and left reverse high punch at the same time, then step forward and thrust kick with the right foot to the mid-section .. repeat drill 20 times
Partner practice — Partners face each other and get proper distance for safety (arms extended and fist bump distance) .. Partner #1 steps back into a left front stance with hands up ready to attack .. Partner #2 indicates to Partner #1 that he/she is ready to defend .. Partner #1 steps forward with right foot and executes a right punch toward face of Partner #2 (make sure that punch would not reach partner’s face for safety) .. Partner #2 steps back into left back stance and executes a left high block and right reverse punch toward partner’s face at the same time (miss face by several inches), then steps forward and performs a thrust kick with the right foot to their partner’s mid-section (miss your partner by a couple of inches) .. repeat drill 20 times
Partner practice — Partners face each other and get proper distance for safety (arms extended and fist bump distance) .. Partner #1 steps back into a right front stance with hands up ready to attack .. Partner #2 indicates to Partner #1 that he/she is ready to defend .. Partner #1 steps forward with left foot and executes a left punch toward face of Partner #2 (make sure that punch would not reach partner’s face for safety) .. Partner #2 steps back into right back stance and executes a right high block and left reverse punch toward partner’s face at the same time (miss face by several inches), then steps forward and performs a thrust kick with the left foot to their partner’s mid-section (miss your partner by a couple of inches) .. repeat drill 20 times
Drill #2
Solo practice — stand in ready position .. evade to the left side, block with right outside block, and execute a right reverse kick to the knee at the same time .. then use a left palm strike to partner’s ear or side of head .. repeat drill 20 times
Solo practice — stand in ready position .. evade to the right side, block with left outside block, and execute a left reverse kick to the knee at the same time .. then use a right palm strike to partner’s ear or side of head .. repeat drill 20 times
Partner practice — Partners face each other and get proper distance for safety (arms extended and fist bump distance) .. Partner #1 steps back into a left front stance with hands up ready to attack .. Partner #2 indicates to Partner #1 that he/she is ready to defend .. Partner #1 steps forward with right foot and executes a right punch toward chest of Partner #2 (make sure that punch would not reach partner’s chest for safety) .. Partner #2 evades to the left side, blocks with right outside block, and executes a right reverse kick to the knee at the same time (miss knee by a few inches) .. then use a left palm strike to partner’s ear or side of head (miss by a few inches) .. repeat drill 20 times
Partner practice — Partners face each other and get proper distance for safety (arms extended and fist bump distance) .. Partner #1 steps back into a right front stance with hands up ready to attack .. Partner #2 indicates to Partner #1 that he/she is ready to defend .. Partner #1 steps forward with left foot and executes a left punch toward chest of Partner #2 (make sure that punch would not reach partner’s chest for safety) .. Partner #2 evades to the right side, blocks with left outside block, and executes a left reverse kick to the knee at the same time (miss knee by a few inches) .. then use a right palm strike to partner’s ear or side of head (miss by a few inches) .. repeat drill 20 times
Drill #3
Solo practice — stand in ready position .. step back into a left back stance, execute a left low block and right reverse high punch at the same time .. then execute a right roundhouse kick to knee, ribs, or head .. repeat drill 20 times
Solo practice — stand in ready position .. step back into a right back stance, execute a right low block and left reverse high punch at the same time .. then execute a left roundhouse kick to knee, ribs, or head .. repeat drill 20 times
Partner practice — Partners face each other and get proper distance for safety (arms extended and fist bump distance) .. Partner #1 steps back into a left front stance with hands up ready to attack .. Partner #2 indicates to Partner #1 that he/she is ready to defend .. Partner #1 steps forward with right foot and executes a right front kick toward stomach of Partner #2 (make sure that punch would not reach partner’s stomach for safety) .. Partner #2 steps back into left back stance and executes a left low block and right reverse high punch toward partner’s face at the same time (miss face by several inches) .. then execute a right roundhouse kick to partner’s knee, ribs, or head (miss by a few inches) .. repeat drill 20 times
Partner practice — Partners face each other and get proper distance for safety (arms extended and fist bump distance) .. Partner #1 steps back into a right front stance with hands up ready to attack .. Partner #2 indicates to Partner #1 that he/she is ready to defend .. Partner #1 steps forward with left foot and executes a left front kick toward stomach of Partner #2 (make sure that punch would not reach partner’s stomach for safety) .. Partner #2 steps back into right back stance and executes a right low block and left reverse punch toward partner’s face at the same time (miss face by several inches) .. then execute a left roundhouse kick to knee, ribs, or head (miss by a few inches) .. repeat drill 20 times
Drill #4
Solo practice — stand in ready position .. evade to the left side, block with right outside block/arm grab (contact/control), and execute a right side kick to the knee at the same time, followed by a right side kick to the ribs .. repeat drill 20 times
Solo practice — stand in ready position .. evade to the right side, block with left outside block/arm grab (contact/control), and execute a left side kick to the knee at the same time, followed by a left side kick to the ribs .. repeat drill 20 times
Partner practice — Partners face each other and get proper distance for safety (arms extended and fist bump distance) .. Partner #1 steps back into a left front stance with hands up ready to attack .. Partner #2 indicates to Partner #1 that he/she is ready to defend .. Partner #1 steps forward with right foot and executes a right punch toward chest of Partner #2 (make sure that punch would not reach partner’s chest for safety) .. Partner #2 evades to the left side, blocks with right outside block/arm grab (contact/control), and executes a right side kick to the knee at the same time, followed by a right side kick to the ribs (miss knee and ribs by a few inches) .. repeat drill 20 times
Partner practice — Partners face each other and get proper distance for safety (arms extended and fist bump distance) .. Partner #1 steps back into a right front stance with hands up ready to attack .. Partner #2 indicates to Partner #1 that he/she is ready to defend .. Partner #1 steps forward with left foot and executes a left punch toward chest of Partner #2 (make sure that punch would not reach partner’s chest for safety) .. Partner #2 evades to the right side, blocks with left outside block/arm grab (contact/control), and executes a left side kick to the knee at the same time, followed by a left side kick to the ribs (miss knee and ribs by a few inches) .. repeat drill 20 times
Combination Drills
What you’re beginning to do here is what we call “combination drills.” That’s where the student learns how to combine multiple techniques for the purpose of defending themselves. The above drills combines several techniques: evading, blocking, trapping, and multiple countering. We will share more combination drills next time from the martial art of Kung Fu.
Enjoy!
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