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**Garland** · 06-24-2006, 06:28 AM

Sideways Headbutt
The sideways headbutt is performed by briskly tilting the head sideways. The striking surface is the outboard curved part of the parietal bone on the side of the head. The striking zone is a line (it’s not really that crisply defined - more of a band) starting about 3 inches directly above and slightly behind the ear-hole and extending forward from there roughly 3 inches. In order to locate the exact striking zone on your head, apply the earlier rule regarding areas of high local curvature. The main thing is to strike with an area high enough on the side of the skull - lower down on the side of the skull, the temporal bone and further forward, the temple area, are each pretty flat and these are therefore prime target areas for headbutts.
There are two variants of the sideways headbutt: the long and the short. The long headbutt tilts the head from the base of the neck, as if you were trying to touch your ear to your shoulder with a snapping strike. The head and neck tilt as a unit. The short headbutt is performed by mainly tilting just the head, kinking the neck. It’s as if you were trying to touch your ear to the base of your neck rather than your shoulder. The long sideways headbutt has a bit longer range and is arguably more powerful. However, I generally prefer the short version since it brings my striking area further down on the side of the opponent’s skull as well as making it difficult for the opponent to counter-butt the side of my skull.
For an even stronger strike, the force of the sideways headbutt can be increased by turning your head away from the direction you will strike before starting the headbutt. This adds the force of head rotation to the primary motion of tilting the head as you turn back to straight ahead.
Rear Headbutt
The rear headbutt is performed by snapping/tilting the head backward - the head motion itself is somewhat similar to the rising headbutt but instead striking backwards. The strike will be more powerful if you start with your head tilted forward, chin (nearly) touching your breastbone - although this risks telegraphing the technique. The ideal striking surface is the bump on the occipital bone just below the crown of the head, but the whole occiput is pretty strong. The blow can be directed straight back or diagonally back to either side.
The movements that can be added to this headbutt are in the grey zone halfway between how to make the technique land harder and how to set it up. The main supplementary movement is to tilt forward at the waist or hips prior to delivering the blow. This body bend is generally done not just to increase the force of the subsequent headbutt but also to get free from some hold applied by the opponent, or get ‘working space’ between his head and yours. For maximum force (some might say utter overcommitment) you can bend your knees and then thrust/arch back as if you were attempting a backwards somersault.
Although the rear headbutt can deliver a very hard blow to the opponent’s face/head, I think this technique has been oversold. I mostly find it can only be landed on the stupid or unwary - and how did such a person get behind you? It also exposes the neck to chokes.
Diagonal and Linked Headbutts
What we’re now about to discuss covers diagonal and linked headbutts but also wanders a little into training methods. The diagonal headbutts rely heavily on Chas’ horns as striking weapons. The diagonal headbutts blend the movement of the forward or rising headbutts with the head tilts and rotation of sideways headbutts. I’ll discuss them in terms of an imaginary opponent directly on front of the headbutter.
You can perform the forward and rising headbutts alternately in a pure up-and-down fashion as if you were mimicking the body language of a ‘yes’ (and I suppose you could invent a pure side-to-side rotational headbutt that mimicked a ‘no’). A better method, I think, is to practice linking the forward, rising, and diagonal headbutts by moving your head as if a spot on the middle of your forehead was tracing an imaginary ‘figure 8’ or alternatively an ‘infinity’ symbol. I find the infinity version especially good for diagonal headbutts using the horns - be sure to practice it both rising up (‘goring’ the opponent with your imaginary horn) and dropping down (striking the opponent with your horn) at the crossover part (X) of the infinity symbol. You can occasionally add (one or more) pure forward thrusting headbutts (the ‘Egyptian’ kind) into the middle of the X. You can also incorporate a pure downward or rising butt from time-to-time. Hell, you can even link the figure 8 and infinity moves. By now your head should be reeling - literally. The whole thing starts to feel a bit like knife or stick methods from the Phillipines or Indonesia. And you can actually apply these moves in a real fight; however, you don’t deliver a great long intricate sequence - just a brief ‘excerpt.’
An important warning: Never practice this training method outdoors - you could find that you are viewed by some large bird as having successfully performed a mating ritual.
Other Headbutts
Before we move on from the types and mechanics of headbutts, let me state that what I’ve discussed so far are the main types but I don’t pretend my list is exhaustive or encyclopedic. For instance, there are some long-distance ramming techniques with the head, about which I know nothing. I also know little about using the head for guntings, but at least I know that I don’t know (and that’s the beginning of wisdom according to Socrates). Maybe Chas or other gunting specialists will add info.
Setups and Applications
There are many ways to apply headbutts, but they usually can’t be launched against skilled opponents without first setting them up. And it’s hard to talk about setups without also discussing specific applications, so I’ll bend the two topics. Setups include several subtopics: footwork, grabs and controls, helper moves (shoulder bumps, etc.) and complementary moves (uppercuts, elbows, knees, etc.)
Footwork
Now footwork is a huge subject all by itself and moreover it tends to be style-specific. I’m only going to touch on a few aspects. The main areas of footwork applicable to headbutts are: entering into close range, positioning the head for a blow or increasing its power, and setting up followups. Everyone knows to use a preemptive forward headbutt if a (prospective) opponent is mouthing off at close range. Or a close position suitable for butting may just arise naturally during the course of a fight. Otherwise you must get close enough to butt him and to do that you can use whatever entering methods are in your style. A few suggestions for entering (assuming you’re both in left foot lead):
1. Slip his left jab over your right shoulder (or fold inside his hook), step forward with your left foot (about eight inches to about 11 o’clock position - the right slides up afterwards to narrow your stance), bend forward, dip the knees, and put (that ‘put’ can be a forward headbutt) your forehead on his breastbone or your cheek on his chest (looking to the outside). You’re now set up for a rising headbutt. The forehead-on-breastbone (with your hands on the inside) is a wonderful position for inside punching (a good place to be if you’re the smaller man) as well as for butts. Use the cheek-on-chest if you favour clinching before butting. (You can sometimes do a ‘rear headbutt’ from the cheek-on-chest. Bend your head forward so you’re looking down and then unwind to strike the bottom/side of the opponent’s jaw with the back of your head. Your cheek stays in light grazing contact with the opponent’s body throughout the delivery.)
2. Slip the jab etc. as above but step in deeper and more diagonally to the left. Don’t bend or dip, just right sideways or diagonal butt as you tie-up on the inside.
3. Do a wrestling-style penetration step (don’t hit the knees) with the left leg going deep. Rise up a bit when inside and again go for forehead-on-breastbone or cheek-on-chest. (You can also rise up as if you had tried for a snatch double, gave up, and were just coming up into a clinch - don’t stop and clinch but keep rising, resulting in the ultimate rising headbutt. If he leans back to avoid it, go for a takedown - or step in further and forward butt.) You could instead have simply gone for some version of a wrestling tie-up that may result in a forehead-to-forehead or cheek-to-cheek and you could than initiate a butting duel form there (although you must get your hips closer first).
I also should mention that in a wrestling tie-up you can sometimes ‘post’ with your head (forehead or even top of the head) in head-to-head or head-to-chest position. You mustn’t linger here or you will eat uppercuts, get snapped-down, etc. but it can be a good starting point for butts.
4. One of my favorites: the drop-shift. Starting at medium range slide the left foot back about 10 inches and then take a full step forward with the right foot - you are now in right leg lead and deep inside. This move is a distant relative of some of the triangle stepping methods (although it comes from western boxing).
With respect to footwork applicable once you get to (or if you start at) the inside, I’ll mention two:
1. Step back with one foot and bend your knees as you tilt your head forward. This is usually a defensive reaction to the opponent’s forward headbutt so he strikes his forehead on your forehead or top of head, but it can also be done as an attack by pulling the opponent’s face into your head/forehead (using a neck hook, etc.). It works well against a taller opponent. A natural followup after the headbutt is to knee with the leg that was drawn back, or you could add a rising headbutt in between the forward butt and the knee.
A typical combination based on the step back is: forward pull-in headbutt with left leg stepped back, left knee to groin (belly, leg, etc.) with knee somewhere between a front knee and roundhouse knee and your head leaning past the left side of the opponent’s head, place left foot on ground (forward) and sideways (or diagonal) headbutt to opponent’s head just as your weight comes down on the left foot. (You might have had a double lapel grab throughout this for control.)
2. If you start with your feet fairly close together as you stand in front of the opponent, step forward diagonally with one foot or the other and forward butt him. (Your foot goes out diagonally but your body and head go nearly straight forward.) With a longer step you could take your head past him and then land a sideways (or diagonal) butt. Again, some form of grab helps ensure that the technique lands. (If you don’t have a grab and he turns/leans away from the sideways/diagonal butt, nail him with a hook, uppercut, or palm-heel with your far hand.)

**Garland** · 06-24-2006, 06:29 AM

Helper Moves
The helper moves I want to talk about are shoulder strikes, bumps, and pushes; the rising shoulder; and the elbow roll. (I won’t cover ordinary hand/arm pushes and shoves.) These moves have a larger sphere of application (both offensively and defensively) than just helpers for head butts, but that’s the only context I’m going to discuss now.
The shoulder strike is such a beautiful inside move that it brings tears to my eyes (and if you do it right it will bring tears to your opponent’s eyes). The shoulder strike is comprised of many elements: hip twist, shoulder twist, shoulder roll, leg turn and dip, twisting ‘sit-up’, and body lean. That’s a lot of subtlety to pack into one technique. Put up with me while I walk you through its components (in exaggerated practice form).
Practice the hip and shoulder twist by standing with feet shoulder-width apart and twisting to alternately bring you shoulders to right angles with the line between your feet. At first do it without moving your feet, which requires twisting your shoulders more than your hips. Then let just the rearward foot twist on the ball of the foot. Exaggerate the foot twist until on each turn the big toe of the rear foot points to the middle of the other foot (getting more hip into it and ‘leading’ with the hip rather than the shoulders). Now instead of an even-weighted twist, shift weight to the forward leg each time, bend the rear knee and raise the heel.
The twisting sit-up part is done just like the supine version - now we’ve involved the belly muscles (recti, obliques, etc.). The shoulder roll part brings just the shoulder forward (and slightly in) without involving any other body motion. And the body lean is a simple forward tilt about the hips or waist.
Practice the shoulder moves on the heavy bag three principal ways (but with different mixes of the component motions): as a strike into (the centerline of) the bag (from short to very short range), as a near-centerline push (in backwards and diagonally-backwards directions) starting with contact with the bag, or as a bump to the right or left side of the bag (does a bag have sides?) in order to keep it centered in front of you. Try adding small steps as well.
You may have some trouble keeping a bag (or opponent) centred using just shoulder bumps. You can improve your control by adding an elbow roll. The elbow roll is easy to do but tricky to describe. I’ll break it into parts, but remember the following is explanatory, not a fighting application. The first (and main) part is rotation of the upper arm. Take a boxing stance, left leg forward, hands eye level, elbows bent about 90 degrees. Rotate your left arm clockwise (only in the shoulder socket) about 180 degrees until your forearm is roughly vertical, hand pointing down. Your elbow moves only a little, rising perhaps 2 or 3 inches. Now perform the same move but also try to move your elbow horizontally further towards your centerline (depending on your flexibility this will be zero to a few inches.) You may also find that you spontaneously tend to add some shoulder roll - that’s good. With the elbow roll the bumping/pushing surface is the outside (almost back) of the upper arm. Now you don’t have to rotate the arm into position to get the benefit of the elbow roll - you can just start with your arm already down. You seldom do an elbow roll by itself - you usually add a little to a lot of shoulder twisting or rolling as well. Although illegal, this move is quite popular with boxers who fight on the inside. What you give up (temporarily) with the elbow roll is good hand striking position, although there are fighters who can do a pretty fair job starting with the hand down. You can practice alternate left and right shoulder-bumps/elbow-rolls starting with your hands down and leaving them down throughout - good on the heavy bag.
By raising the elbow, doing more snap/follow-through and less push, and similar small adjustments, you can eventually develop a seamless progression of the elbow roll into the conventional horizontal or diagonally-downwards elbow strike (e.g., elbow roll - raise elbow - elbow strike). Or you can deliver a rising or diagonally-rising elbow after a roll (e.g., rotate the left elbow back counterclockwise, then go forward and up). For instance, if the opponent pushes back against your elbow roll, suddenly let him ‘win’ by relaxing the elbow roll, using his force to help power the rotation of your elbow back for a rising strike on the inside. You should also practice speedy ‘recovery’ of the hand to standard guard by way of blows such as backfist, hook, sidearm strike, etc., so you never get stuck in an awkward position after an elbow roll. (Damn, this keeps expanding; it’s becoming a treatise on inside fighting, not just headbutts.)
The last shoulder technique is the rising shoulder. It’s easy to describe and the move is very useful (don’t let the shortness of the discussion convince you it’s trivial). The move is a simple shrug of one shoulder with possibly a bit of forward roll. You can add to it by first dipping the knees and then thrusting up. Or you can pull the opponent down towards it first. It works great against a shorter or same-height opponent, particularly in the cheek-to-cheek position.
In closing this section, I want to emphasize the value of shoulder moves and elbow rolls. I jokingly used to say that if you’re good enough at shoulder moves, elbow rolls, and headbutts you can beat up an opponent on the inside while keeping your hands in your pockets.
Grabs and Controls
Because head butts are short-range techniques, grabs and controls are a major part of keeping the range, feeding the opponent into the butts, shoulder strikes, or other blows, and defence. Now grabs and controls can encompass a wide variety of techniques: trapping, chin na, wrestling tie-ups, judo grips, Thai head controls, etc. I’m not going to even try to tackle the fancy ones, but instead I’ll try to give an inkling of some applications of three simple ones, neck hook, double lapel grab, and double elbow grab (and even these aren’t all that simple).
Neck Hook
The neck hook is a key technique in at least two martial arts, Thai boxing and wrestling, although it is applied somewhat differently in each. I’ll try a hybrid explanation.
Bend your (right) wrist into flexion with a lot of ulnar deviation as well. Slightly cup your hand with fingers together and thumb alongside. Now put your forearm across the left side of the opponent’s shoulder where it joins the neck and hook his neck (there’s no grab) with your wrist and the meaty base of the hand (little-finger side). Pull forward and down. Here’s an important detail. Keep the ulnar surface of your forearm touching/pressing against his clavicle and your elbow well down and on your centerline. It is anathema to let your elbow flap to the outside. Don’t just pull - ‘hang’ someof your weight on him (but don’t rely on him for support) - to do that you’ll have to bend forward a bit. Your elbow is bent 90 degrees or so and points straight towards your centerline.
Some variants and applications: You can use more elbow bend and go for a cheek-to-cheek tie-up. You can push with the forearm on his clavicle. You can pull the opponent into your headbutt (several varieties). You can release the neck hook and forward/rising elbow him in the chest (the exact reverse of this is a good way to get the neck hook in the first place). You can push him to your left or, less effectively, pull him to your right with fingertip pressure, to set up headbutts (or elbows, knees, etc.). (I’ll ignore fancier stuff such as shucks, but you can do them too.) You can suddenly snap him down or, do a weaker snap intended to ‘fail’ and forward butt him when he pulls up and away.
A few more points: You can pull him into your left shoulder strike (the pull starts to include a palm-heel guide part-way through) or, less effectively, into your right shoulder strike. Defensively, if he attempts to forward/diagonal butt you, the pull-in to either shoulder can smother his attempt. Release him unexpectedly and side-butt him.
Two more ways to get the neck hook: A wrestling style forearm-to-clavicle block as he shoots/rushes or, deliver a (say, left) jab that he can easily slip over his right shoulder and hook his neck as you retract the missed jab. You can also use a double neck hook (very ‘Thai’). This allows you to do side-to-side moves that completely break his balance and leave him open for all kinds of hurtful things. It’s like a slower-speed version of a terrier shaking a rat. Be sure to keep your elbows together in front (most defences/escapes come up the middle). (FYI, the reverse neck hook is also a great move, but it doesn’t lend itself well to head butts.)
Double Lapel Grab
The double lapel grab is much maligned as an inferior technique only used by the untrained or inexperienced. Maybe so, but it can be polished into quite a sophisticated helper method that is well-adapted to butting. In discussing the double lapel grab I will assume that the opponent is wearing a sturdy garment that transmits forces well to his body (i.e., not too loose or stretchy). Now the actual grab can be knuckles up, knuckles down, or vertical - I’ll assume the vertical. The grip can be quite wide (more a shoulder grab) or narrow - I’ll assume moderately wide. Lastly, the grab can be bent or straight arm - bent arm is necessary for butting (and generally superior anyway). So imagine we’re now grabbing the opponent with both hands, with our elbows down and bent about 90 degrees.
There’re more moves available than just a straight pull into a forward headbutt. The hands can pull or push to/fro, up/down, or left/right or in mixtures of these directions and each hand can act independently. This leads to lots of different combinations - let’s look at some:
Just like the neck hook, it’s usually best to hang some weight onto the opponent. The double grab gives you an excellent ‘feel’ for the opponent’s moves. For instance, if he starts a (left) knee, you pull his left shoulder diagonally down and to your right while pushing his right shoulder (less vigorously) up, back and to the left. This traps his weight on his left foot and points his knee away from you. Depending on distance, butt him with a forward, diagonal, or sideways strike on the right side of his face. (If you exaggerate this move with more push you can twist him to the point that you can oblique-kick/stomp on his rear knee as you turn him into a choke, go for osoto-gari, etc.)
One of the main sub-techniques to practice with the double-lapel grab is the double-arm swing. A description of the practice method follows. Stand square, legs shoulder-width, with each elbow touching your side and forearms horizontal, pointing straight ahead. Pretend there is a rod between your hands always keeping them the same distance apart. Rotate your (right) forearm horizontally inwards until your hand touches your ribs - the left hand is forced outboard. Alternate to either side. Now raise your hands to mid-chest height and do as before. Next, try underdoing and overdoing where you bring the inward hand so it lands either on your breastbone or further out near your shoulder. This is how
to use this particular variant against an opponent. You guide one shoulder of the opponent towards your chest more centrally (and a bit down) when you wish to forward or diagonally butt him or shoulder-strike him, but more outboard when you wish to sideways butt him. You move him even further outboard when you react defensively to his attempted headbutt or shoulder strike (by taking him shoulder to shoulder). And, yes, you can even pull him straight in for a forward butt. A good trick is to pull him in and if he resists let him pull his head back, (even help him with a push), then forward butt him (or, instead, duck your head, and then pull him in again, this time onto the top/front of your head or even into a rising butt.) Or you could have pushed him first and when he resists pull him in. Any of these moves can be done a bit sideways by pulling/pushing more strongly with one hand than the other. Experiment and explore.
Double-Elbow Grab
The last move I’m going to discuss is a double-elbow grab, another ‘street’ move that can be refined and polished and then used with butting. Grab (i.e., clench the cloth in your vertical fist) the opponent’s sleeves just above and to the outside/back of each elbow. (The opponent has lots of counter-moves available but that’s a different story.) Your control is a bit similar to the double shoulder/lapel grab. With this move you have less efficient control of his body but better control of his arms. You can apply most of the same techniques as for the double-lapel control - it’s best to keep him pretty close (you can then do stuff to thwart his escapes such as trap his hand/wrist in your armpit, etc.). The head moves with elbow control often feel as if you were planting a French ‘bec’ on each cheek of the opponent (but with forward, rising, diagonal and sideways headbutts). There are many ways to get the position - one way is to start your hands at his shoulders in a chest-to-chest clinch and then slide your hands down to the elbow. You can also flow into it (on one side) after a biceps stop with your palm/palm-heel. You can also flow *out* of it into overhooks, etc. - don’t think of this position (or any of the other positions) as something you obtain and never relinquish or change - the ‘flow’ is much more important than the individual techniques.

**Garland** · 06-24-2006, 06:30 AM

Head-Butting Applications
1. With respect to the holds I discussed, it is obviously possible to mix-and-match them. For instance, the neck hook with an elbow grab is a street version of the collar-and-elbow wrestling tie-up.
2. There are many other holds that can be used with head-butts; I’m fond of butting after trapping. Traps, pummeling, etc. can also be used to release the opponent’s holds and then counter-butt. For instance, there are many escapes from the double-lapel grab.
3. A *major* point to note with respect to head-butts is that many of the positions are symmetrical - if you can butt him, he can butt you. This puts a big premium on timing, control of the opponent with bumps and holds, and defensive reactions when you lose the initiative. If you train and practice headbutts, however, you will be light-years ahead of both streetfighters and (most) martial artists in being able to ‘flow’ with your headbutts and complementary techniques. The average fighter can only deliver a headbutt as an isolated ‘singleton,’ if he even tries one at all.
4. Defence against the headbutt mostly consists of moving (slightly) away, moving far away (breaking the range), staying so close (touching) that there is no room to butt, blocking with the hands, stop-hitting or countering with the head or shoulder (or palm-heel, etc.), and applying smothering pull-ins and deflections such as I described earlier.
I’m going to elaborate a bit on some of these defensive aspects. A major defensive method to prevent butts is to put your head against the opponent’s head. But you usually must do more than just touch heads - otherwise the opponent can quickly pull away to get room to butt. You must either press so that your head follows his if he attempts to get separation for butting (sensitivity required), or you must push his head to the limit of its range of motion so he can’t pull away to butt (strength required).
Moving (swaying back, turning) your head away from a butt must be done in a flowing manner - otherwise it opens you up and gives the opponent the distance he needs to initiate another butt or other blow. Think in terms of slipping, bobbing, and weaving from boxing (for instance, incoming butts should ‘just miss’ not ‘miss by a mile’). If moving stops working, ‘clinch’ with your head - that is, go back to a tight head-to-head (or head-to-chest) position. These days I’m trying to borrow a page from Bruce Lee and apply fencing theory. For headbutts, this might mean cutovers, presses, beats, disengagments, linear, circle, and half-circle parries, etc.
If things are going badly you can try to break off the butting duel - push away for greater range. For instance, the double shoulder/lapel grab usually allows you to exercise this option. You can also suddenly push away even when you’re winning the butting duel in order to sneak in an over-the-top elbow, etc. Mixing short and very-short range and the techniques that go with them really confuses an opponent. Very few MAs appreciate the subtle distinctions between these two striking ranges (adding grappling further complicates the picture). (My classification system for striking ranges and corresponding typical techniques goes: long range = kicking only; medium range = ‘outside’ punching/shorter kicks; short range = bent-arm blows, elbows, knees, trapping; very-short range = head-butts, shoulders, palm-heels. The ranges are obviously not sharply-defined and exclusive but a continuum and blows can be used outside their ‘home range.’)
5. A plug for the shortest striking technique using the hand: the palm-heel. When even short hooks only land as rabbit punches and the uppercut is crowded out, the palm-heel can still be used effectively. Use it not just as a pure strike, but as a ‘grazing’ strike, as a (bastardized) pak-sao/slap, a push/strike, or a pure push.
6. A few words about blocking with the hand(s). The hand(s) can be used to stop or cushion a butt by absorbing the butt as it comes in (think of catching a fastball bare-handed - you would absorb it, not put your hand up rigidly). If your hands are already on the opponent’s head you can resist by tensing/pushing whenever he tries to butt (sensitivity required).
I’m not a believer in eye strikes on the fly. (Although bil-jee is a great move, it’s not to my taste - it’s too natural for the opponent to duck and too easy to break a finger). To get the opponent’s eyes, start with your hands already on his head/face or block the opponent’s butt with a double palm-heel, fingers curling horizontally to the outside - then reach the fingers a bit further back, stabilize the opponent’s head, and gouge his eyes with your thumbs. Butt him on the bridge of the nose if he pulls his head back to decrease the pressure on his eyes (or on the temple if he turns away).
7. For equal-height opponents all the head and shoulder techniques work. For moderate mismatches in height the taller man will find it hard to position himself for rising strikes while the shorter man gives up downwards strikes to the face of his opponent (he should target the breastbone instead) The rising strikes are tricky - for a slightly shorter man they work magnificently, but if he is just a bit shorter than that they start to be hard to land with power. A pull-in of the opponent’s face into the top of the head works well for a moderately shorter man; for that reason a taller man must be alert to avoid any defensive duck or butt when he butts downward. The shoulder strikes can be used by both, but usually work a bit better for the taller man (especially true for the rising shoulder).
If an opponent is much shorter, the taller man may only be able to use shoulder strikes, not headbutts - the much shorter man has only the butt to the chest (the shoulder moves would still work but they don’t have good targets). However, the head-on-chest is (ignoring grappling) one of the best places for a small man to be in a fight. (And grappling just makes it different, not worse.)
Training Methods
Let's look at training methods. Most of this is fairly obvious except perhaps for a few small points. There are two schools with respect to training headbutts: heavy and light impact. I'll reveal my prejudice now and tell you I'm of the light-impact school. Some people have heads of stone (do they operate from a nexus halfway down their spine?) while others get killer headaches from even medium contact. Regularly butting full power onto heavy bags, etc. is too much for me. I'm afraid I'll become like the punch-drunk fighter in Jerry Lewis' sketch who says, "I've had...uh...forty-two fights and...uh...I've won 'em all...uh...except forty-one."
In point form:
1. Neck strength is an obvious asset when executing headbutts. Exercises include isometrics, headstraps and weights, rubber bands, self-resistance (hands against head, etc.), and partner resistance. A particularly valuable solo exercise is the wrestler's bridge (forward, backwards and transitions). Once you gain sufficient strength statically, be sure to dynamically work the neck through its entire range of motion with the bridges - flexibility is important as well as strength. A good partner exercise is to single-neck-hook' each other and really hang your weight on the hook while moving around, snapping down, resisting, etc. - go easy the first few times or your whole back and neck will really ache the next day. (And remember, it's an exercise, not a contest.)
Neck strength is important for wrestling but the defensive benefits for striking arts are often overlooked. A strong neck helps the head and body move (nearly) as one when the head is struck - this results in less 'whiplash' to the head and 'sloshing' of the brain inside the skull.
2. It's worthwhile to shadow-box with the head using, for instance, the linked butting exercises I discussed earlier. Try to practice the head moves together with the rest of your short-range repertoire (palm-heels, elbows, shoulders, knees, etc.). This helps develop rhythm and coordination.
3. A solo exercise I recommend for head butts is light-contact using some sort of speed-bag. (Speed bags are too lively for shoulder-strike practice unless you have lightning reflexes.) There are two types that I think are good. For each type you can use a commercially-available bag or the roll-your-own kind.
The first type uses a head-sized inflatable ball (very like a soccer ball or basketball) suspended on a taut bungee cord above and (important) also below so it returns fairly quickly when hit. It's very convenient to be able to adjust the height so you can
Practice against simulated tall, medium, and short opponents. Be sure to sometimes mix in the odd palm-heel, elbow, or head pull-in with your head-butts.
The second type is like a boxer's speed bag (in fact, one of those would work pretty well). It also uses a head-sized inflatable ball. The ball is suspended only from above, quite close to the ball. The apparatus may also include a (removable) backstop a few inches behind the ball from which it can rebound; the bag motions with and without the backstop add variety. I have only seen adjustable-height versions of this type of bag on expensive professional-boxing models. This second type of bag is much faster than the first type and will really sharpen your butting reflexes. (If it's too fast, try deflating the ball a bit to make it deader.)
4. Heavy bag work is great for shoulder strikes but I would go easy on head butts. Even if you favour light-contact, however, occasionally do a *few* full-power butts to get the feel of them. Be extremely careful (especially before your technique - and your neck - are very strong) to avoid a fast-approaching swing of the bag hitting your head - you can seriously injure your neck. As for breaking boards or other objects with a headbutt, you can do this if you like - I'll abstain.
5. The last training method is light sparring with a partner. You both wear full-contact type headgear complete with chin, cheek, and face protection. I like plastic faceshields for face protection better than wire grids but shields *are* rather 'steamy' and claustrophobic. The protection lets you do light *not heavy* sparring - don't overdo it! Wear a chest-guard if you're going to include shoulder strikes or butts to the chest. And don't forget your mouthguard! Even with padding and only moderate impact you will gain an appreciation of the power of a good headbutt.
That's it from me - good luck with your training. And remember: One good butt deserves a nutter!
Regards,
Gerald Moffatt

**PFSofPA** · 06-24-2006, 07:58 AM

Headbutts

You've managed to take a basic primal fighting technique and turn it inot an artform. Are you kidding me? You have way too much time on your hands.

**Garland** · 06-24-2006, 12:02 PM

Originally posted by PFSofPA

You've managed to take a basic primal fighting technique and turn it inot an artform. Are you kidding me? You have way too much time on your hands.

Not me, man...I didn't write the article, but it sure as hell does exactly that. Makes a natural defensive/offensive technique more powerful, efficient, and economical...just like boxing does with punching.

**PFSofPA** · 06-24-2006, 04:01 PM

Headbutts

Can't wait to see the dissertation on eye gouging.

**Garland** · 06-24-2006, 04:42 PM

Originally posted by PFSofPA

Can't wait to see the dissertation on eye gouging.

I have one. It's part of Grand Tuhon Leo Gaje's discourse on the art of Kino Mutai...it is all inclusive of nasty techniques...several pages on how to execute and train gouging, biting, pinching, and tearing of soft tissues...including fishhooking. All very technical and practical.

Should I post it???

**PFSofPA** · 06-24-2006, 04:54 PM

Headbutts

Shit! Now my curiosity is piqued!

**Garland** · 06-24-2006, 05:09 PM

One by Paul Vunak, I think...

FROM http://www.geocities.com/jkdinstructor/
Kina Mutai (Kino Mutai)

Biting and Eye Gouging

Why You Need to Know the Philippine Art of Kino Mutai.

If you look back at the history of the Philippines, you will see war and bloodshed. During many of their battles, the Filipinos found themselves outnumbered, outgunned or both. Consequently, they developed an ideology that focused on finding a way to put themselves on equal footing with their adversaries, to somehow circumvent the odds. They were forced to be innovative in dealing with the harsh reality of the times. Vice-grip concept: Paul Vunak holds his opponent immobile while he bites his latissimus dorsi muscle.

For the Filipinos, "circumvent" ended up meaning "find a way to cheat." In the world of weapons combat, they concocted an amazing way of cheating: Instead of blocking a strike with their own weapon, they would smash or cut the opponent’s weapon hand. The opponent was likened to a snake and the weapon was the fangs of the snake; hence, the method was called "defanging the snake." While the rest of the world went toe-to-toe while fighting with weapons—blocking strikes and trading blows like nobody’s business—the Filipinos would simply attack the hand. When fighting with empty hands, the Filipinos employed the same ideology. Instead of blocking punches and kicks, they used nerve destructions against the incoming limbs. Rather than exchange blows with their opponents, they got inside and implemented strategic knee thrusts, elbow strikes and head butts. Once again, they were trying to circumvent the reality of their situation and put themselves on an equal footing with their enemies.

The Equalizer
Now that the central theme of the Filipino paradigm—of David being forced to overcome Goliath—has been described, we will delve into the world of grappling and the topic of this article, kino mutai, or the "art of biting and pinching." Jeet kune do practitioners refer to it as "biting and eye gouging" because their preferred area to pinch is the opponent’s eyeball.

Uninterrupted biting: Key-locking his arms around his opponent’s neck, Paul Vunak is able to inflict pain with his teeth while preventing the other man from going away.Many Philippine escrimadors (escrima practitioners) possessed an invaluable attribute that most people today simply do not have: incredible grip strength. That was a byproduct of wielding heavy sticks, swords and knives all day long. One of the most famous grandmasters, Floro Villabrille, could actually husk coconuts with his bare hands. By no coincidence, Bruce Lee also possessed incredible grip strength, and he used innovative equipment to further develop tendon strength in his fingers and forearms. A strong grip is one of the most important attributes in kino mutai because being able to hold onto an opponent while biting him is the Philippine way of cheating on the ground.

The Art
Whenever biting is mentioned, the first thing that usually comes to mind is, "Anyone can bite." In reality, that bland assertion is true, but the difference between "just plain biting" and kino mutai is how to bite, where to bite and when to bite. A kino mutai practitioner’s bite is "uninterrupted." That means he knows the exact places on your body to bite and does so with precise timing. He grabs hold of you using his superior grip strength and bites areas that would take you literally minutes to pull him off. There are more than 140 places on the human body that he can bite for as long as he wants. While biting, he is implementing his knowledge of kinesiology and sensitivity to hang on like a pit bull.

In the world of wrestling, Brazilian-jujutsu practitioners are clearly the kings. Their subtle body movements, ground sensitivity and knowledge of leverage, escapes and finishing moves put them in a league of their own. When jujutsu is combined with kino mutai, the result is perhaps the most formidable hybrid grappling art on the planet. In a street fight, you can use the mix against a bigger, stronger ground fighter—if not to beat him on the ground, then to create enough space to get back on your feet (even if your only goal is to run).

Mixing arts: Brazilian jujutsu combines well with kino mutai because its mastery of ground fighting allows the practitioner to jockey for just the right position before he starts biting and gouging with impunity.The Training
Before you begin practicing kino mutai, you must learn the essential principles. First is how to bite. You should always be cognizant of how much flesh is in your mouth. Typically, the average person will try to use all his teeth and take too much "meat" in one bite. To avoid that pitfall, you must angle your face so the pressure is applied directly on the incisors. The actual motion of the bite is a repeated circular ripping of the flesh, resulting in numerous smaller bites which, when applied cumulatively, inflict considerable damage.

Maximum destruction: Kino mutai is the Philippine art of biting and eye gouging. With the proper jujutsu hold to keep your opponent from squirming, you can use both skills at the same time.The best way to practice this is to get a large piece of beef and place it inside a T-shirt. Next, set a timer and explode into it with the goal of tearing through the entire piece of beef as quickly as possible. At the beginning of the drill, you will encounter several hurdles. First, you will notice your teeth hydroplaning across the surface of the meat without actually penetrating. Varying the angle and pressure of the bite (using the attribute of sensitivity) can mitigate this problem. Second, halfway through the practice session you may discover one side of your jaw muscle cramping. When that happens, you can turn your head to engage the incisors on the opposite side.

The more you practice this drill, the better your body mechanics will become, the easier it will be to make small, circular bites and the faster you will be able to gnaw through the beef. At the beginning, it may take two or three minutes to get through the meat. After 20 or 30 pot roasts, however, you will find that you can tear your way through a 5-pound slab of meat inside of 10 seconds.

The next point that must be addressed is the most important concept of kino mutai: the ability to bite someone uninterrupted. To understand uninterrupted biting, picture yourself holding your opponent in a bear hug with your arms wrapped around his torso (or imagine he is held in your guard and your arms are wrapped around his neck) while you are biting his throat. If you do not have a firm grip on him while you bite, his instinctive response will be to pull away, resulting in a small puncture wound that will hardly do any damage. Applying the proper "vice grip" while making small tears with your incisors, however, will give you the ability to hang on and bite him until next Christmas.

The Targets
That brings up the next item: where to bite. Yes, you can use your teeth just about anywhere on your opponent’s body, but to bite uninterrupted you must target specific areas. What constitutes a good area to bite? First, it should be extremely sensitive to pain. The cheek, neck, ear, nipple, latissimus dorsi muscle and groin are sensitive regions with many nerve endings. Second, it should be an area that will allow you to position yourself so your opponent cannot counter your bite by pulling away or pushing you away. The importance of biting a sensitive area while hanging on cannot be overstated. Using some basic jujutsu positions, we will present a few of the many possible bites.

• If you are mounted on your opponent, you can bite his face and neck.
• If you are in the cross-side position, you can bite his cheek, ear or neck.
• If you are in the north-south position, you can bite his groin.
• If you have him in your guard, you can bite his cheek, ear or neck.
• If you are in his guard, you can bite his nipple.
• If you are on the bottom of the cross-side position, you can bite the latissimus muscle if his elbow is across your body or his neck if his elbow is elsewhere.

Remember: The key is to hold your opponent so you can bite as long as you want. He will try to get the source of the pain—your teeth—away from his body as quickly as possible. That means he will try to create space between his body and yours. You can then take advantage of that space and push or kick him off. If you are pinned under someone much stronger and heavier than you, biting is the fastest way to escape. If, however, you fail to hang onto him while you bite, he will be able to pull away before your bite can inflict the damage required to get the reaction you need.

Target acquisition: If you have assumed the cross-side position on your opponent, you can bite his cheek, ear or neck, Paul Vunak says. Other positions allow access to different targets.The Drill
Once you understand the concepts discussed above, it’s time to try kino mutai in sparring. The following drill will help you learn when to bite:

While you and your partner grapple, look for the appropriate areas of his body to bite. Called target acquisition, this process can take from one to five minutes. Timing is critical, and only by actually rolling on the mat will you be able to develop the ability to engage in kino mutai at will.

Once you have selected the target, your next step is to hold your training partner as firmly as you can to ensure that your bite will be uninterrupted. Then you simulate the bite by pressing your face firmly against the target for as long as possible. The moment your partner feels the "bite" being applied, he should attempt to defend himself by pushing your face away, breaking the hold, etc. If you apply the technique correctly, it should take him at least 10 seconds to escape the simulated bite.

The Eyes
The second half of the kino mutai equation is the uninterrupted eye gouge. To train for it, you can use the same methodology as for biting: First wrestle slowly while you acquire a target. Each position that is advantageous for biting can also work for eye gouging—with the exception of the north-south position. Grab your opponent’s neck and gently press on his eyeball until he pulls your hand away.

As you get better, he can wear swim goggles so you can practice the eye gouge more aggressively.

Small bites: With his hooks (feet) planted, Paul Vunak secures the head of opponent Jeff Clancy and nips his neck. Vunak says one of the essentials of kino mutai is to not bite off more than you can chew—literally.The Alternative
One often-overlooked advantage of using kino mutai is the tremendous psychological damage that a vicious bite or eye gouge will inflict. When you bite uninterrupted and your assailant cannot stop the pain, you cause him to panic. Because you are also biting a sensitive area, in essence you are destroying him emotionally.

Kino mutai should be used only as a last resort. These days, the thought of having the blood of an unknown person in your mouth is certainly objectionable. However, in a life-or-death situation, biting at precisely the right time could enable you to create enough space to escape.

In the martial arts, there must be a clear distinction between self-preservation (doing whatever it takes to save yourself and your loved ones) and self-perfection (the sport and training aspects of a style). When you think about bludgeoning someone with a stick, stabbing him with a knife or biting a hole in his face, it is obviously distasteful. However, when it comes to protecting the life of your mother, your spouse or your children, is there anything you wouldn’t do?

**PFSofPA** · 06-24-2006, 05:13 PM

Kino Mutai

I've trained this with Paul. What do you have from Gaje?

**Garland** · 06-24-2006, 05:27 PM

wait, I found the author's name off wikipedia; Vagelis Zorbas

and more from Zorbas website...this is an article by GT Gaje

Deadly Art of Dirty Tricks
by Grand Tuhon Leo Gaje Jr.

Moving forward into the in-depth of Dumog/Pangamut the Deadly Art of Dirty Tricks in cheating the enemy during the encounter is the specialty of the Dumoguero. Here are the practices of the Dumogueros and their Dirty Tricks.

The training methods of the Pangamut (hand combat) concentrates on the toughening of the fingernails and the palm. At the initial stage, the Dumoguero prepares a ganta of (Katumbal) red-hot pepper, all ripened and are placed in a bucket. Both open hands are dip inside the bucket were the hot pepper are to be squeezed until all the juices are separated. Then both hands are transferred into another bucket filled with sand.

Once the hands are dip into the sand, the arm must sink up to the elbow level. The process of dipping is to thrust the hand into the bucket hitting the fined sand so vigorously that for continuos thrust the hands are toughened and toughened. After few minutes, the same hands are dipped into the bucket filled with pepper juices until the hands are numbed not to feel any pain. The pepper juice sinks into the tip of the fingernails and to the skin of the forearms. This is done every other day up to 49 days. The philosophy of this training is for the hand to have protection against poison.

The poisons are taken from the venom of a walo-walo water snake, Poison from Atipalo, poison from Ewi-ewi, poison from Lagot-not (a poisonous tree). The Dumuguero boils the coconut oil, and once the coconut oil is cooked it is transferred into a small bucket to be mixed with the poison. This is mixed while the oil is still hot. After few minutes the hands are dip into the bucket of oil and poison. Then the Dumoguero remove his hands from the bucket and air dry his hands ready to be used for combat.

During the fight the Dumoguero concentrates his attacks by thrusting his fingers into the mouth or eyes of the opponent. Once the fingers touches the mouth or the eyes, then there will be a change of the opponent movements, that means that the poison is working. Then after couple of minutes the enemy will feel dizzy complainin for headaches. From then the opponent cannot continue the fight and he is being brought to a place where he can rest. Then after few hours, or few days, there is news that the man dies caused by heart attack or some illness caused by some spirits.

The other method is to apply the poison by inserting the Atipalo’s teeth in between the fingers. Once contact is made, the Dumoguero use the teeth of the Atipalo to scratch the opponent’s hand or skin and immediately the opponent will have a tremendous pain and feverish causing paralysis of the spinal column more than enough for a victim to die either instantly or couple of hours.

The Dumoguero is a very tricky and dirty fighter. A open hand slap of the Dumoguero into any parts of the body will cause sudden chill and dizziness that causes serious vomiting and diarrhea if no herbal medicine that will be applied from a special medicinal tree, the victim will die. The hands of the Dumogueros are filled with poison.

Dumoguero also performs a certain traditional ritual to re-enforce his power and strength. Doing the advanced rituals, the spiritual power of the Dumoguero is effective against an enemy during combat. The Dumoguero can weakened the opponent by reducing the strength of the enemy causing him not to stand or walk.

The use of the poison hand is not limited only for Dumog encounter but also being practiced in cases of personal challenges. If someone became a victim of the poison hand he suddenly dies, of an unknown cause but most of the time it is blamed to heart attacks.

The Dumog/Pangamut movements are done in simulation as movement of the snake about to catch the prey. The wavy motion is also a reflection of the wave of the sea. The hands are moved in parallel movements, vertical movements and reverse vertical motions crossing and counter crossing the body. Any grabbing to the body by one hand or two hands immediately it is countered by one hand while the other hand is thrusting the eyes and the mouth of the opponent. A smart Dumoguero is always prepared to counter against thrust to the eyes or to the mouth. To combine the Dumog techniques and the Pangamut using all the dirty tricks, fighting the Dumoguero will always bring death. That is why the presence of the Dumoguero during family trouble or community fight will reduce the possibility of a serious confrontation.

Dumog Terminology

Kamrus – to scratch the face, the skin
Gusnit – to pail off the skin, remove the hair
Puwakon – clawing the throat, removing the esophagus
Pungkoy – Vigorous blow to the back of the head
Hulbot – the pull the head or pull the hair
Waslik – to pull and throw
Kumus – to smash the face area
Lukit – to thrust the finger into the eye socket and take the eyes out
Kagat – to bite the skin fingers, nose and ears
Guba – to elbow the chest area and break the sternum
Itlogan – to grab and squeeze the balls (groin)
Pungol – to hold the head, break the neck remove from the body

10 control points on the body: (They correspond to joints)

1. Fingers
2. Toes
3. Wrists
4. Elbows
5. Shoulders
6. Hips
7. Knees
8. Ankles
9. Spine
10. Neck

**Garland** · 06-24-2006, 05:28 PM

ANOTHER Vagelis article
Preface

Dumog is a general term used to describe the Filipino art of wrestling and grappling. There are two main forms of dumog. Agaw patid Buno, is the more commonly known form of dumog. It consists of standup grappling and wrestling, utilising off-balancing techniques, throws, and neck turning to force an opponent to the ground. Traditionally opponents would engage by holding a belt or encircling each other's waist and attempt to throw and unbalance each other. Victory was declared when the opponent's shoulders squarely touched the ground.
Musang Dumog is a ground fighting art, utilising locks, chokes and strikes to submit opponents on the ground. Both systems can be combined or learnt independently. The origins of both these styles is rather sketchy, however they are still relatively abundant in the northernmost islands of the Phillippines.

The Filipino art of grappling includes a wide range of locks, known as trankadas, chokes, throws, trips, sweeps and pins which blend and flow naturally from the empty handed boxing and kicking methods, applied with or without a weapon.

Dumog is primarily concerned with felling an opponent in such a way as to cause maximum damage to joints, ligaments and tendons followed by a ferocious flurry of ground striking techniques designed to distract and disable an opponent prior to applying a pin, lock or choke.

Technique, in this case, is an understanding of controlling points, or choke points. A choke point is a military term meaning "controlling area". For example, if five water tributaries feed into one major river, it follows that whoever controls the river, controls the tributaries. That makes the river the controlling point When you choke the river, you choke the tributaries.

These points, which are grabbed, pushed or pulled, are used to put the opponent off balance, causing the body to go out of control into a swirling, whirlwind effect. The student who has developed the skill to know where the choke points are can easily fling a 275-pound opponent around, despite a handicap that could approach 150 pounds. We have borrowed this terminology to illustrate the importance of control. Now, let's look at a few examples with which you can experiment.

The Biceps Push

With both hands, one opponent grabs the other by the biceps, twisting in toward the front of the body. Push the biceps directly into the ear and then walk or run forward. Because of the twisting of the body, the opponent receiving the push must walk diagonally, thus causing him to become extremely off balance. The bicep push is used to either move an opponent or, as in this instance, to pin him against an environmental obstacle ( wall/fence).The adversary is now set up for a knee spike to the right thigh. Remember, as with the use of any technique, nothing is foolproof. Soon, the opponent will regain balance, and at that point the biceps pull can be implemented.

The Biceps Pull

The grip of the pull is identical to that of the push. The key to this technique is in the timing and sensitivity. You must sense, or anticipate, the moment when your opponent will plant his foot to regain the balance that was lost during the biceps push. At this point, the opponent's energy will shift and come toward you. You must respond-not by fighting his energy, but by pulling it. In effect, you are using your opponent's energy to your advantage

The biceps pull and biceps push are best used in cooperation with each other. Either one may start or finish a sequence, depending on the energy presented by the opponent.

The Head Twist

Another very simple technique used in Dumog is the head twist. Here, the opponent places both hands over the other opponent, ears (similar to the method used in grabbing the steering wheel of a car). Grabbing the opponent's hair instead of his ears is a technique that can also be used, With a quick jerk, twist the head sideways, step back and then tip the head upside-down, pulling it backwards. As the opponent regains balance, simply twist the head in the opposite direction and repeat the process.

The head twist can be a very effective technique because, with this motion, you are contorting the spinal cord and causing a disturbance to your opponent's equilibrium. In the sport of Dumog, proper technique and process calculation are critical to victory. When these same techniques are used in a realistic street fight, other elements must be incorporated to produce maximum devastation.

In most cases, "plain and simple" sophistication and precision in a down-and-dirty street fight is, to say the least, a joke. Street fighting is deceptive. It takes on many shapes, characteristics and conditions. For example, a street fight may take place in rain or snow; it may happen on a flat or hilly surface, or even on a stairway. Such a fight may easily involve multiple attackers or weapons.

Filipino Dumog Training Concepts

Dumog Tactics of Defense

1. The first principle is not to waste strength wrestling with an opponent. If he already has you at a disadvantage. Instead look for a way to strike that will cause pain and shock first and then find away to get out of his grip. Using your hands, forearms, knees/head and even your feet. In Kali practitioners seek to avoid getting caught in their opponent's locks by hitting (destructions) first to the extremities and continuing, to strike vital parts of the body. Working towards the head for control. The principle here is to defeat the grappler by damaging him so much he can't grapple. The hitting is used to soften and tranquilize him for escape and counter control.

2. The second principle is to get your balance and maintain it. If you can maneuver the attacker off balance, his advantage will be neutralized. In Panantukan/Dumog the principle of body manipulation is one of the basic requirements to develop. Using arm levels, pushing, pulling, and control of the head. Using Kali's triangle footwork to off balance and maneuver the attacker into throws, sweeps, and takedowns.

3. The third principle is to use your entire body weight in any movement or technique that you may attempt. Don't just use your arm strength alone. Put your hips, legs and upper body behind each movement fully. Finally remember that the attacker is always vulnerable somewhere. Even if he is behind you, or on top of you. If he is physically taller to bigger. He is still vulnerable, to the right attack to the right target be calm and assess the situation and you will find a solution being caught in a headlock or a choke can cause some panic. Particularly if you have practiced a couple of techniques that will work to free yourself from the attacker, it is also important to strike effectively before the pressure from the lock or hold causes extreme pain or unconsciousness.

The Application of footwork within close quarters training range:

The study and development of your footwork is just an adjustment from stick to empty hand. The same principles apply as far as zoning and range concepts of the forward and reverse triangle patterns are concerned. But with one added factor the stepping and placement of the feet, within the footwork sectors.

The footwork sectors are developed by the numbering of the positions of the foot according to the opponents lead leg position. Example: This position's are used in many Silat/ Filipino systems

Opponent's foot position

Rt. foot Lt. foot

( ) ( )

sector#1 00000 Sector#2 Sector#3 00000 sector#4

00000 00000

( ) ( )

your your

Lt. foot Rt. foot

1. In this training you will be training for foot placement, you can step with your left foot to sector #1, next using your right foot step to sector #1.

2. Next move your left foot to sector #2, then continue with your right, using a switch stepping movement.

3. Next move to sector #3-#4 doing the same footwork. Now that you have same basic stepping sectors have your partner throw a straight punch at your chin, and you use a defensive motion and step into one of the various sectors, remember this is close quarter engagement tactics used to close in on your opponent. You should be moving very close into your opponent. For without this footwork development you will have a hard time controlling your opponent's actions and reactions.

Next drill: The Triangle Pattern (Close quarter)

Opponent's foot placement

Lt. Foot Rt. Foot

2.X ( ) 4. X 6. X ( ) 8. X

00000 00000

replace steps

outside inside inside outside

Begin here!1. X 3. X 5. X 7. X 9. X

The X's are the switch stepping movements, begin with your right foot, step to 2., right foot shifts out and moves to 3. and is replaced by the left foot. Shift your left foot back to 3. and move your right foot to 4.

Move your left foot to 4. and shift your right foot to 5. I think you can get the idea here. Now once you get to 9. go back the opposite direction starting with the left foot. This footwork is used for the clinch and tie up positions. To get you, and keep you moving away from the opponent's strength and move to his points of weakness. For controlling, sweeping, throwing using base, angles and leverage.

Next drill: The side, and footstep!

Opponent's foot placement

Lt. Foot Rt. Foot

1. X ( 2.X ) 3. X 4. X (5.X) 6. X

00000 00000

In this training you begin by stepping with you right foot to #1 next place the right heel of your foot on top of the left foot, now slide your toe down to #3 and place it next to the foot. Do the same for the right foot with your right foot. Next using your left footstep to 1. and then move the heel of your left foot to the top of the opponent's Lt. foot and let it slide down to #3 and place it on the ground. Next you will use a crossing step and your left foot will go to 4-5-6 and your right will begin at 1-2-3 or the right will go to 4-5-6 and the left to 1-2-3. This footwork is used mostly in the ankle break concepts of Kuntao.

This next drill is the box pattern: it is the basic of many martial art systems

2. X 3. X

Opponent's foot placement

Lt. Foot Rt. Foot

( ) ( )

00000 00000

1. X 4. X

This is a Box/Square pattern with an X in the middle of it, going from #1 to #3 and from #4 to #2, With your feet on #1 and #4 begin by moving your right foot straight up to #2 following the X pattern next move your left foot from #1 to #3 continue by moving your right foot from #2 to #4 next move back into position while moving your left foot from #3 back to #1. This is considered the right side of the box, because you started with your right foot. Next go around back the other direction, beginning with the left foot stepping to #3 and just follow the same footwork around the square.

Next drill:

By removing the X from the Box pattern, you will begin stepping from point to point on the X's by sliding your foot along the outer rim of the box. Example: If you begin on #1 and #4 you will slide your right foot to your left, then shoot it up to #2, now slide your left foot up to your right and slide your left foot to #3 position. You would be standing directly behind your opponent at this time. Move your right into your left foot then slide it down to #4 position, bring your left foot into your right foot and move back into the starting position, now reverse this and go back the other direction.
The building of any system of self defense, must start with effective footwork. You could have the best hands, locks, and kicks in the business but if you don't have any method developed to get you inside to use them. A lot of times you end up getting tagged, just sitting there waiting to move. Your footwork, must develop a method of moving you away, from danger and into/ or away from the opponent to take them out.

**PFSofPA** · 06-24-2006, 06:03 PM

Gaje

I'll be back to you. I'm digesting this.

**Garland** · 06-24-2006, 07:07 PM

It seems odd to me that nobody mentions my favorite distracting technique...spitting in the asshole's face...to obscure vision, and make them flip out so they don't think straight. How to train that...full face visors and lots of windex???

yucky.

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