Imagine
a tennis player judging the power and accuracy of her
serve solely by its form. Visualize a volleyball player
sharpening her "spiking" skill by hitting
only air. Also finally, picture a pole-vaulter competing
in today's event while refusing to use a fiberglass
pole? Ridiculous; you say? As farfetched as the above
scenario may sound, many women martial artists, unlike
their female counterparts in other sports, have not
availed themselves of modem training methods. Instead,
they are still relying on so-called "traditional"
training methods that are all-but obsolete when applied
to sell-defense situations on today's urban streets.
What's wrong with tradition? Nothing at all, as long
as we distinguish between stylized forms of kicking
and punching, with their emphasis on pre-arranged or
choreographed kata, and combat-oriented martial arts
that stress actual contact over aesthetic or ceremonial
considerations. Furthermore, most classical martial
arts have a preponderance of "passive" blocking
movements that women can ill afford to use against much
larger, stronger opponents when precious seconds can
mean the difference between life and death. So we can
further distinguish between "blocking-type"
martial arts regimes, and hitting, or "striking-type"
martial arts training.
At this point, it should be understood that we are not
discussing "this" style versus "that"
style, but rather, evaluating a methodology of training.
This approach to training has an underlying premise:
All martial arts training should parallel actual combat
as closely as possible. With this premise in mind, we
now have a checklist with which to analyze whatever
martial art we are presently studying, so we can be
confident our training is truly applicable for someone
of relatively small stature in realistic fighting.
Women's marital arts study must incorporate impact-training
from the inception of the program. After all, how else
can you know? How hard you kick and punch unless you
are making solid contact with something? Impact training
can be broken down into three progressive stages. At
the first stage of training, the practitioner develops
power by striking (or kicking) stationary targets, be
it a focus glove, air shield, heavy bag, etc. which
will also acquaint her with her own reach (distance)
and body mechanics.
The second phase of impact training requires the female
martial artist to hit moving targets, such as the top
and bottom bag, air shields, focus gloves, Thai pads,
etc., which an alert coach or training partner can move
randomly at a variety of angles, thereby compelling
the student to deliver strikes while moving. Unlike
the performance of forms, nothing in this stage of training
is pre-arranged, since the coach moves her targets in
an unpredictable manner. This phase not only enhances
mobility and precision, but also acquaints her with
the attribute of timing, since the targets are constantly
moving. The third phase of impact training is the unrestricted
force brought to bear on an "opponent" who
a wearing full body armor. This is not a self-defense
mode of training, because the partner wearing the protective
gear will not cooperate, but rather be hitting, kicking,
and striking you as well. The "assailant"
is not a model "mugger," but an aggressive
adversary changing the combat ranges with no consistent
pattern of attack.
This brings up another item on our checklist of combat-oriented
training; a method of training that encompasses all
four ranges of combat. How often has a well-meaning
male martial arts instructor encouraged female students
to develop their kicks since the "legs are much
stronger than the hands?" Yet, statistics show
that most assaults on women occur in the "in-fighting,"
or close-quarter range of combat. While back-spinning
kicks may-be beautiful in the gym, it is unlikely that
you will have time to even launch any kick, since the
range of combat closes in less than one-tenth of a second.
To restrict oneself to a martial arts method that emphasizes
long-range kicking is to limit one's coping abilities
in the other ranges of a violent confrontation.
So important is this in-fighting range for women that
it is imperative we have the necessary "tools"
to deal with aggression in this "war zone."
Strikes that convey the most damage in the shortest
time must be perfected. This means hitting, and not
blocking, on the first move. Since no referee will say,
"break" when the combat range closes, women
must launch damaging shockers so that the assailant
cannot continue his attack. (This concept eliminates
most restraining-type arts that were developed when
professional warriors were clad in armor, thus prohibiting
striking or kicking of any sort.)
Some of the most efficient (if not artistically pleasing)
strikes are: the finger jab, which should be cultivated
on something harder than a pillow since you will likely
run into facial bone. (You can build up to striking
padded diving goggles by starting to finger jab your
shower curtain.); elbows, knees and headbutts can be
perfected on focus gloves or Thai pads; low kicks (below
the waist) should be directed to the groin, knees, femur
bone, or shins and can be practiced on a partner wearing
shin guards or long "banana bags."
Now that We have discussed impact training and range
familliarity, let's examine another cornerstone of combat-ready
martial arts training - contact conditioning. This is
the phase pf training that most women (including myself)
would rather avoid. Contact conditioning is the progressive
and controlled willingness to absorb impact, and can
only be obtained by a willingness to don gloves and
headgear and "go for it" Taking a punch is
critical, because women have not had the exposure to
full-contact sports, such as football, in which most
men have participated. This is not an endorsement of
two partners standing toe-to-toe and "duking it
out," but enough conditioning in your martial arts
training that will allow you to continue past the shock
of pain and impact in a real encounter.
While we are on the subject of conditioning, you must
realize that you are much more likely to be struck by
a jab or hook on the street than a sidekick or ridge-hand.
A familiarity with basic boxing will let you feel confident
in effectively dealing with it Rest assured that there
is nothing unfeminine about women who can deliver jabs,
crosses, hooks and uppercuts with explosive power. Once
again, however, it is important that after you master
the basic mechanics, you attempt to execute these strikes
while someone is trying to hit you back. After all,
it's very different shooting a handgun at a target range
under ideal conditions than it is attempting to shoot
with accuracy when someone is firing back at you. Familiarity
with boxing will help to "demystify" realms
of combat that until recently were reserved for men.
Our checklist would not be complete unless we mention
two other items. It would be ludicrous to imagine a
running back in football refusing to be tackled by anyone
except those of his own height and weight. Yet, when
women train exclusively with other women, that is exactly
what they are doing. Women must experience the aggressive
energy and greater strength of men in their martial
arts training regimen, or else, like the runner, they
will not develop the evasiveness and resilience necessary
to compete. Like the professional athlete, female martial
artists must take advantage of supplemental training,
along with practicing just technique.
What female tennis player could hope to compete even
at an amateur level without some sort of weight training
program? Supplemental training (weights, conditioning,
etc.) will not replace skill of movement, but will surely
enhance it. Merely looking smooth, flexible and yelling
while delivering a kick or strike is not enough to make
it powerful. Once again, the female martial artist could
do well to observe the training programs of professionals
athletes, who do not rely on sheer repetition of movement
to increase skill, but rather supplemental training
regimens to develop "attributes" necessary
for their particular sport.
Finally, a martial arts program that does not include
weapons training is basically incomplete in preparing
the female practitioner for street combat. No matter
how diligently a woman trains, she is at a disadvantage
when facing a much larger, stronger assailant, let alone
multiple attackers. The ability and willingness to use
a knife, stick, or other weapon will give the female
martial artist an "equalizer." Just as the
feudal samurai in Japan would never walk the streets
without their sword, women in urban areas of the U.S.
must likewise be armed and ready to protect themselves
with their weapons of choice. Like empty-hand training,
weapons training should emphasize hitting (cutting,
stabbing), rather than blocking or wide, flowery movements
that look beautiful in kata or forms, but have little
or no application to combat.
Are we going to continue to pretend that the traditional
methods of martial arts training are sufficient, or
will we discover the hard way that our training regimens
do not work against someone who is not a cooperating
partner? Are we going to avail ourselves of a way that
allows us to fight back? Modem training methods will
eliminate many of the unpleasant surprises that female
martial artists would encounter in an actual confrontation.
Ignorance on our part of modem martial arts training
methods will only benefit our aggressors. So let's avail
ourselves of innovative training techniques so that
we have the power (and speed, coordination, conditioning,
etc.) to fight back and win. |
