Muscle memory and multiple attacks (diary entry)

21.03.13

This is the penultimate lesson in my 8 hour bespoke private self-protection course. Tonight’s focus was to layer the previous areas covered and show their adaption to multiple attackers.

We warmed up going through the basic body mechanics for straight and circular hand strikes. This was progressed onto the focus mitts and drilled from the fence. They followed onto incidental combinations and each time the exercise was run the student practiced tactical escape at the end. Both students then practiced going through basic postures – standing, kneeling, seated and on their backs.  Then they practiced the straight and hooking hand strikes in isolation from these postures, as a form of restrictive training. This was followed by transitional drills, which encourages better tactical movement to a standing position from a compromised position.  We then covered reactive tactics using the cover. This then branched off into multiple attack training from standing then transitioning through the aforementioned postures. Next we covered ground defence and then multiple attack ground defence.

Topics covered included the problems with stylization and the importance of muscle memory. We discussed how the technique is relatively easy and therefore easily maintained and has a high success rate under pressure. The key is to work the basics, so that the correct muscles are engaged together to improve the speed and power of the technique. Look more to the movement of the behind the shoulders and arms.

Below are simple exercises that can be taken to improve functional fitness for self-defence (hard skills):

Basic hip and footwork movement for hand strikes

Circular footwork for stand-up multiple attack situations

Transitioning through postures

Ground defence – moving the head out of danger