KerwinBenson.com Hidden Gems of Martial Arts

Advanced Discussion: Contrasting Principles

Contrasting Bruce Lee with Sun Tzu

In Rising Sun, Sean Connery's character told us not to accept what is offered by your opponent. Taking What an Opponent Offers

In another article, we learned the Bruce Lee idea of attacking all advances.

Doesn't it seem like this week I am telling you not to go for what's offered, but last week I told you you go for everything that's offered?

Actually, I am not "offering" you contradictory advice.

Let's distinguish between the two principles:

Imagine someone facing Bruce Lee. Each time this guy steps in, Bruce seems to catch him in the shins or knees with a stop kick. The guy pulls his fist back for a solid punch. Bruce Lee interrupts his motion with either another kick or a straight punch, that 'only' shoots forward (no wind up).

In my mind, the Bruce Lee principle is to stop forward advances. You stop committed, forward motions. Your primary goal is to strike at the closest target.

On the other hand, in todays advice, we are talking about a technique or an opening "being offered" to you. You are responding, or choosing not to, to a technique coming your way.

It's the difference between "advance" and "attack."

Do you remember how Bruce Lee looked for the target.

You interrupted the advance.

Sure, a simple advance by your opponent could turn into a fake, but again, all the rules apply of discerning between a committed action and a well-acted fake.

Your Opponent's Advances

On the other hand, you wouldn't want to try to stop kick each and every kick thrown at you.

Your opponent would learn your patterned response. And your opponent would "fake you," with a variation the pattern.

I teach my students criteria to pick when they are going to stop kick. They wait for the appropriate time. With the distance that they force, it's easy to pick off one kick with a stop kick. If your kick is good and your follow-up too, then one stop kick is all you need.

Again, be wary of techniques that could be fakes. Remember, not all advances from your opponent are accompanied by techniques. Sometimes an advance is just an advance.

With lots of practice using the exercise on recognizing fakes, you'll learn to detect feints and uncommitted attacks.

Eventually, you can think about combining the two principles:

Make your opponent 'gun shy' (hesitant) by attacking all advances. Do this repetitively -- enough so that your opponent is forced into attacking on the advance as a form of protection.

On these advances, and because you repeated some responses, your opponent will try a fake or two, thinking to fool you.

Poor guy.

As mentioned before, you have been practicing how to recognize fakes.

His feints stick out like a sore thumb.