Re: How Do *YOU* Test Your Techniques?
I have never sparred against a padded training partner like we frequently see in RBSD classes.As a ghetto child,we'd never seen such a thing before; our focus was always upon immediate efficient effective application.We could literally be fighting shortly after we left the dojo (at least half of us were) so we had to be result oriented in the shortest time possible.I'll take a single movement and test the hell out of it.We keep hearing about Checks for instance,and we think we have a good grasp of it.Yeah well try to isolate that one technique and then spar with it...all you can do is Check your opponent's attacks.You REALLY begin to get a grasp of Checking then.And repeat...all the way til the day the casket drops.You'll still be developing your Checks.Lol.Probably be in Heaven Checking angels...
I always isolate and spar with techniques,but I especially do so when I doubt the efficacy of a technique or I'm having madd problems with it.The humerus bone blow in Dropping The Storm immediately drew my skepticism in its consistent reliability,so I isolated it and sparred with it.So far my skepticism seems well placed; I rarely pull the blow off but experience much more success with the variant that I suggested as it came from the sparring.With Snaking Talons,I found a great deal to be skeptical of in its presentation; almost none of it will work as shown reliably in a live scenario.For instance that wakk "bracing step" was not at all likely to funtion in most scenarios as it's shown.I've even seen people who are trying to stop the push with their (stumbling) "bracing steps" while trying to Snake get yanked down to the ground,snatched off of their feet,punched,tackled,etc.So I applied my Snaking Talon techniques in the lab of isolated sparring where the intensity of the sparring starts lighter and then increases until I'm facing full on live fire techniques in whatever scenario;and that's how my variant (my students named it The Snake and Tiger Talon) was born.
I use a time tested performance principle called Sport Specific Training and Performance Oriented Training that has looong been a mainstay in sports.You learn by being shown (whatever movement or technique) in a step by step basis,then doing it all together, and then practicing it singly and fully integrated ALOT.There ya go.No magic,no mystery,lotsa sweat.Remember my questions about Dropping The Storm,and my variants of Snaking Talon,and allat other stuff? Yep.Came from this.And I immediately started sparring with Dropping The Storm.Next month I will put videos of my Dropping The Storm up.It won't look like what's written,although it has alot of that same material in it.Instead it will show the results of my mat work on that technique and right off you'll see that whatever the differences are? You can do them.Quickly.Efficiently.Realistically.Dynamically .Reliably.And then we can/should compare and contrast with other Kenpoists who've tested their methods the same way...and that way we can make EVERYTHING better.Anywho...I'd been doing it long before I heard of Matt Thornton but I like the terminology he coined (or appropriated) for this method,so I'll use it here: it's called the I-3 method.
Introduction
Isolation
Integration
First I introduce a technique.We go over the purpose of the technique and the form of its execution.I demo the technique for the class.What I find that I have done differently than any other instructor that I have had when I was growing up is that in my demos I show the exact same technique executed as attacks AND defenses to each of the "major" areas in a 360 degree circle to show that the location of your opponent is irrelevant.I also do it seated,standing,in the clinch,from the up-down,grappling,while facing weapons,and facing multiple "opponents" (usually the members of my class who've surrounded me or are facing me in what amounts to a "skirmish line").This demo I have found over the years to have a tremendous effect in bolstering confidence regarding the real world applicability of the technique. I then set about having my students execute the techniques in line,so I can focus on each one of them individually and so can the whole class.This way we're all learning at once and I can combat the "fidgets" that young kids can have while they're in line.I also am not scared to hand out calisthenics to the whole line (knuckle pushups,squat thrusts,squats,lunges,and variants of the Yoga Boat pose and the Yoga Tree which really works the core muscles too,then I make them do toe touches to warm them down,and they better be done with all of this in the space of a round which is 1-2 minutes for juniors) to keep the kids busy and encourage them to be focused from that point forward.Works miracles.Anywho...yeah,I introduce them to the technique.I personally focus on Stance,Perception,Defense,and Offense...in that order...during the Introduction phase,and I weld these concepts together with pretty much everything I do.So for instance I'll oftentimes teach my ATACX GYM fighting stances AND the Nuetral Stance (from some variant of which you'll have to defend yourself from 90% of SD scenarios when it jumps off,and then if you have time you can set into your fighting stance),show my students where to look in order to see any and all empty hand and weapons attacks being launched in frontal attack,what techniques we'll use to defend that attack,and what techniques we'll use to mop the floor with our attacker.
Isolation--Here is where we go from zero to functional.We rep the technique out in the air,basically shadowboxing with it.I usually assign 3 rounds for this,during which I insist that they get in 90 executions of the technique on each side.More work than it appears,folks,but it's highly functional and definitely rewarding.You can see their proficiency rise as they rep it out under your watchful eye.The first two rounds are nonstop,meaning there is active rest of jogging around the gym or park (I teach park classes too and whatnot) during the minute break that I usually mandate for beginners after each round.I do this on purpose.It stresses their bodies a bit and brings them mentally and physically closer to the stresses of combat under which they'll have to perform...and I tell them this as they enjoy their first break at the end of the 3rd round.Usually they'll have a decent grasp of the technique by then.I then mandate another 2 rounds of shadow sparring and then I give them a water and questions break.I tell them that we'll be moving on to the next phase which is throwing the technique at each other now.We do that,with each partner alternating between attacker and defender,for the meat of the class...I assign 12 rounds to this single pursuit.It never fails..by round 4 they've got it,and they're starting to get tired.I give them a good 5-10 minute break,during which I talk to them and they get some water and I demo the corrections I want them to make.I have their attention and their full confidence now,but most importantly? THEY KNOW THEY CAN DO IT TOO BY NOW,AND THEY CAN SEE HOW THEIR FRIENDS AND ENEMIES HAVE NO DEFENSE AGAINST WHAT THEY'RE DOING.They're my new set of believers,new members of the choir. Rounds 5-6 are clearly different than all the others.It's like there are a whole new set of people in here now as opposed to the people who walked in the door,and THERE IS.They're EMPOWERED now.They KNOW and they BELIEVE.I give them another rest,make quicker corrections.They're barely looking at me now,they make the corrections off of just my verbal input alone.They nod as I speak,and they get right back into it.
Btw,women are BEASTS when they get to this stage.The only times I've had "accidents" is when usually a new girl or woman gets so taken by how easily she can do these techniques that she overzealously exploits a defensive lapse by her partner.Almost every time she CRACKS A MAN OR BOY.I have only had 4 incidents in 14 years of teaching where a woman accidentally cracks another woman with some vigor in her techniques when we're in the newbie phase.
Anywho,I make them work the gamut.Standing up? They are speedily gaining confidence.Raw but willing in the clinch phase.Still need work but improving during the Seated range.Still working on the basics of execution and are physically getting more and more pooped during the ground phase,so I tend to reverse the order of the instruction from rounds 5-12...I START WITH THE GROUND FIRST.I give more breaks,too.I ensure that they get technical instruction during the rounds and during the breaks.This way they spend most of their time in their "worst case" scenario (ground fighting and ground grappling) while their energy level is high,thus ensuring more quality learning and reps.I then proceed to their 2nd worst case scenario--Up-down--then Seated (Up-Seated,Seated-Seated),then Clinch,then Standup.As their energy wanes,they're moved into ranges of combat that they're more familiar with,so the LEARNING CURVE never stops,and their performance is still high enough for them to be interested and motivated.Lastly and more and more consistently from rounds 5-12,I remind my students to keep the force level down to no more than 50%.We want a good deep technical session here without bruising anyone too much to come back to class tomorrow and learn further.I tell them that if they follow the level of force progressions that I map out that they'll be able to SAFELY go at full power in no more than 7 training sessions.In 14 years of teaching,I have never failed to deliver on that promise.Students love it.
Integration: That's when we take the techniques that we learned and put them back into our arsenal.I link every technique that I teach them so that they can execute them in a nonstop flow.You can flow from every range of combat to escape to back to protecting others and escaping with them without a break and with total confidence.I usually have the class face the Skirmish Line (everybody lines up single file facing a student I selected,and the student runs their technique ground to stand up against everybody in the class) and everybody gets a go,including me.I go first.This way they see yet again what they're supposed to do and how to do it.I found this to be very important,and I truly encourage all instructors here to get on the mat REGULARLY.It has the most salutory affect upon our students.This is usually Round 8.Sometimes Round 9.If it's Round 9,I extend the class to 14 rounds instead of 12 because this group caught on a little slower than usually.
I have them wrap it up at the end of round 12,clap it up,congratualte them,line them up,and ask the students to give me their input on the class,because you're teaching me now and I oftentimes realign aspects of the class based upon the feedback I get from my students.What did they like and what they didn't.Why.What questions do you have.What problems do you have when trying to learn this here technique or do that there move.I learn the most from them at this point of the class and I tell them that.Within 3 days,they're all chiming in and bringing up questions for the whole class to answer and we're all cheering each other on.It's a communal lab and we love it.
so yeah there you have THE ATACX GYM METHOD.
Let the discussion begin. 
