Superman jab-cross+ 2 kick tkd combo

[ATACX GYM]

I'm relatively new to martial arts, so I wouldn't feel so comfortable to talk about specific combo presentations like this -- not like I was so sure about what I was saying. But once ATACX GYM ask us to speak up, there's my 2 cents:

I appreciate particulrly your feinting/footwork in the video. I believe this could be one of the most important parts of sparring/fighting, even before we really attack -- we have to know the right time to do it, and maybe create the opportunity, making the opponent behave as we plan.
Training comboes seems a nice idea, once the practitioner trains enough to make it become natural, and with natural response. I believe every setting in a fight asks for a different response, but surely if we train hard some comboes (parefferentially with partners), we'll be able to use them when the time is appropriate.
I think a combo should be rather simple and the strikes should be naturally connected, making use of the mecanics or momentum acquired in the previous movements. I believe everything in your presentation fits this aspects -- although for some people the mecanics could be a little too hard to perform, or risky. But, as I said, I'm just a practitioner, not a master, so maybe I still don't have enough knowledge to comment on this.
Lastly, I believe taekwondo is a martial art that should be open to most kinds of new techniques, but I honestly have never seen or heard of a superman punch/jab in a strict taekwondo training. But this isn't an aspect that could reduce the value of the combo idea by itself.

Thank you for this post and I agree with much of the content therein. New to the arts or not, you have a keen eye and sharp mind and both should avail you quite well in your martial journey. You and I are in lockstep regarding the importance of and utility of functional combos, footwork, feints, etc. and I'm sad to see that these concepts tend to be underutilized in many schools.

You are correct that strictly speaking The Superman Jab-Cross isn't presented exactly as such in TKD but cleary the feint front kick-lead punch-reverse punch-and both kicks are clear and well known aspects of TKD. I may train many of the techs in a way that isn't commonly done, but all of the techs are solidly rooted in TKD. So are many of the feints I use too...watch enough Olympic TKD matches and you'll see them there. You'll also see them used by TKD guys who go into the MT ring. I take methods that have proven to be effective and utilize them whether they're common mainstays of the dojangs or not...because if it's effective? I like it. And I'll usually use it in some form or fashion.

Again, thank you for your words and taking the time to post!

 

[ATC]

Im not covering every single aspect of power generation here, this isnt an essay Im speaking generally. TKD involves hip rotation on most of its strikes and blocks. Boxers tend to use their shoulders more than anything else.

I don't think that is true. The KKW text book will tell you that when punching you need to turn your shoulders 30 degrees into the punch. There is also a 30 degree in the oppisite direction before the punch as well to load the punch. The shoulders follow the hips. The hips also use the 30 degree principle. This is what we teach and what KKW states as well. This is for punches and blocks. It is a natural happening.

 

[ATACX GYM]

With that sequence of techniques here is my critiques on it. So take it for what its worth. 1) Point blank way to much movement. Better hope your endurance is tip top. I'd let you waste your energy all day moving around like that. 2) A strategic fighter will see after the first feint that your trying to throw him of timing and ryhthm. 3) Once your opponent who is a strategic fighter can figure out your rhythm by the third feint when you start to commit then he'll execute a counter based on that feint. 4) I saw an outside to inside crescent kick going into an ax kick not bad 5) Again with the feints from upper body to lower body, on the knee feint I would personally turn that knee into an actual move and not use it as a feint. Once you make contact with the knee there momentum will most likely start backwards then you can follow through with the ax kick.

Always here to help and critique hope I wasn't to harsh on it but being a fighter trained in Tae Kwon Do, Tai Chi, and Shotokan Karate I'd limit the feints us that to your advantage.

Thank you for the post! And never fear being overly harsh and/or critical with me...as my back and forth with Chris Parker on this site hopefully proves? I can energetically disagree with a given position but I am never offended by the person posting and actually appreciate most of the feedback I get regardless of how negative or supportive it may be. Now on to your post, which I will answer sequentially...

1) Endurance should be solid at least from the training in your martial art...and movement in and of itself is a magnificent dictator. You seem to be an experienced martial artist, so I'll assume you appreciate the importance of dictating distance with movement and timing is. That's what the movement does.

2) You're right, a strategic fighter will see that my movements do impact his rhythm...but you're forgetting that I'm not only a strategic fighter, I'm also the one initiating the movement. That puts me in charge visavis timing and rhythm goes because no matter what? He's REACTING to me, so now it's a game of who's tactics timing rhythm etc is better...but his REACTIONS puts him a beat slower than my ACTIONS. I still have the advantage in every area except for the instinctual "startle reflex" trigger we all have that causes what FBI guys and many crime scene analysts refer to as "defensive wounds". There we're probably tied...but my training in movement probably gives me a shade greater speed than him and the fact that I have the advantage of ACTION and he has the disadvantage of REACTION usually gives me a significant advantage in the initial attack that hopefully I don't squander.

3) My opponent won't have time to wait for my third feint because not only is he assessig me? I'm assessing him and I'm assessing him FIRST because I started moving first. I'm ahead of the curve. His reaction or lack thereof tells me all I need to know in order to launch a successful or at least quite threatening salvo which will compel him to REACT...which is still slower than my ACT. I have the advantage still.

4) Thanks for the props on my crescent axe kick!

5) The knee feint is indeed quadruple purpose...it is an attacking weapon at close quarters, and serves as both a close quarter feint and a mid to long distance feint. Lastly it sets up a very devious transition into a double leg blast takedown. Now there might be those who claim that TKD and Kenpo don't have double legs. I disagree. See we all learn defenses against bear hugs in TKD self defense dojangs, right? Well in my ATACX GYM we show how to defend whatever attack we're defending AND we teach how to PROPERLY ATTACK WITH SAID ATTACK...so we can counter our own defenses. And we develope counters to our counter. And so forth. The double leg is essentially a driving bear hug to the legs...and a driving base can be had with a low left front stance transitioning to a low right front stance or vice versa or having the left and right forward stances initiate from the nuetral stance. Well, you get the idea...

6) I hold a brown in Shotokan. I rarely mention that because in truth I don't remember much beyond the fighting methods which I loved and it's been decades since I practiced it energetically. As you know, I hold multiple 5th dans in multiple arts including TKD...in multiple dans in other arts including SKK and Judo.

Thanks for the critique! Please keep em coming! I'll post other vids of me soon and you guys and gals are all encouraged to comment as you wish. Again, thank you.

 

[ATACX GYM]

Techniques differ with instructors, so I won't tell you anything is incorrect, but rather how I teach it. I also understand you practice multiple arts, which gives you more of a hybrid style, and there's nothing wrong with that.

First and foremost, what concerns me are the hands. We don't hold out hands loosely as a boxer would. I have a newer student who boxed previously and getting him out of that habit is difficult. Our hands are tight and our punches direct. Also,I don't teach "Superman" anything. I prefer to stay grounded and extend power through the body beginning from the rotation of the back foot. I never teach striking with both feet off the ground; hand or foot. While they can be effective, a timed counter strike in that position can be a show stopper. It's risky and I don't prefer to give my opponent any opportunity. I do like your foot movement, but I prefer to feint from the hips and knees as well as the shoulders. Makes it more difficult for an opponent to "time" you. Lastly, I prefer to target the lower extremities with kicks. While all your kicks target the head, it looks great for TV, but not as effective IMO in real life. Example: A back kick driving through an opponent's mid section can launch him, while a high kick has the effect more like an uppercut, or a high spin kick is a slow developing kick that exposes your extremities or is easily countered with a leg sweep. Turning your back on an opponent, even briefly, is never a good idea unless your controlling the action such as taking him to the ground in a lock. All in all, I felt the technique was slow and predictable. If an old guy like me can time you, I'd hate to see what a young guy would do. Again, just not how I would teach it.

As always, even maybe sounding critical, I love your video's and appreciate that you take the time to share! Keep 'em coming!

Regards,

Hey Gemini, how are ya?


Love your post. Yeah I am very familiar with the "direct punch/tight fist" approach and respect that methodology. I'm also a big fan of low kicks [ as my other vids should have shown by now] and knees, even before but especially since my exposure to MT and becoming a MT coach some years ago. Allow me to respond to some issues of concern you raise because I think you make good points:

HANDS...I keep my hands loose even before I launch my linear punches. To me? There is ample evidence that if your hands are loose as you shoot them out, tighten into fists a splintered second before contact, and finish with a "snap" 3-4 inches THROUGH the target while retracting at double the speed that it's launched? You do a whole lot more damage to the BG with far less energy expenditure from you. But that's just my opinion. True it's founded on lotsa research, but it's just my opinion and it's just the way that I personally prefer things.


EXPOSURE TO COUNTERATTACK: Completely true. Every tech leaves you open to counterattack, but if you get caught mid-air with a missed Superman jab? Life sucks for you. However, this possibility is covered and largely defended by the correct execution of the Superman Jab. A counterstrike is quite difficult to land [ a body clinch after you duck the jab is easier but you still get clipped by the cross and the following knee strike to the groin is all bad for you] and the footwork prior to the Superman Jab's deployment should reduce even further the likelihood of a counter being successful while magnifying the likelihood of your leading Superman attack working. True nothing is failproof but...countering a competent Superman jab isn't easy to do.

FEINTING WITH KNEES: I do shake and bake with the knees, but the more bombastic shoulder fake is purposeful...I want to take your eyes away from the fact that I'm stealing a step on you with my feet as I feint with my shoulders. The best way to do that is to make the shoulder feints more visible, more attention grabbing, more obvious...and the feet feints placement and movement less so.

HEAD KICKS: We disagree here philosophically. While I'm a big believer in low kicks like I said before and I am an ardent fan of grappling [ remember...BB in Judo, blue in bjj on my way to purple ] I absolutely know for a fact from my personal experience that head kicks are GOLDEN for self defense. The key is landing the kick and retracting the kick, which means it must be set up and practiced properly. I teach my clients head kicks exactly because a hard head kick has a much higher chance of ending matters than any punch...and that's the most incredible advantage it can have for self defense. ESPECIALLY for smaller men and women facing larger men. Most people aren't expecting to be nailed by a competent head kick, and the shock factor adds to and magnifies the devastating power of such a blow. It's usually the hard blow that you didn't see coming that drops you and/or K.O.'s you...and punches mean that you [ as the smaller defender ] will have to wade through the longer limbs and sometimes heavier blows of your BG opponent just to get a chance to launch your counters. Taking the head kick and high kick [ a chest kick is no fun either, folks, and few things are as brutal to an adversary as a kick to the front or side of the neck] out of our arsenal makes us less effective as martial artists because we have less tools to bring with us to the job.

TIMING: again...that is ALOT HARDER than it initially appears. I have the advantage in that I move first, I set the pace, I set the rhythm, and I use broken rhythm. And I'm very very good at connecting unusual weapons to exposed targets that most people don't defend well. Harder than it looks. How many of us are REALLY expecting a crescent axe and a spin kick thrown with speed power accuracy skill and aplomb from jab-cross range? Especially after we've had to defend/got hit by a Superman jab-cross combo? Like I said...alot harder to do than it seems.


But again, that's just my opinion on the matter.

 

[Gemini]

[ remember...BB in Judo, blue in bjj on my way to purple ]

Oh, I remember. I'm still looking forward to having you throw me all over the mat...after all pertinent disclaimers are filled out, of course.

TIMING: again...that is ALOT HARDER than it initially appears.

It is, but you may encounter someone who can do it.

And I'm very very good at connecting unusual weapons to exposed targets that most people don't defend well.

Yes, and you're capable of a lot of things your average student won't be able to do. You play to a more advanced audience, where I play to a wider audience; initially anyway. But to your point, this is why I would never presume to tell anyone they're wrong. I particularly like the way you provide the substance supporting your movements. I don't have to agree with them to recognize their justification. I know some who could take lessons from you. No high kicking necessary.

Great job as always!

 

[Earl Weiss]

Im not covering every single aspect of power generation here, this isnt an essay Im speaking generally. TKD involves hip rotation on most of its strikes and blocks. Boxers tend to use their shoulders more than anything else.

Well, I guss we will agree to disagree. AFAIAC "Generally" the statement is still wrong. Of course having no idea how you define TKD we could be talking about radicaly different things. But "generally" the statement ignores the use of the legs in generating power in hand techniques which makes it objectively false.

 

[Josh Oakley]

2) You're right, a strategic fighter will see that my movements do impact his rhythm...but you're forgetting that I'm not only a strategic fighter, I'm also the one initiating the movement. That puts me in charge visavis timing and rhythm goes because no matter what? He's REACTING to me, so now it's a game of who's tactics timing rhythm etc is better...but his REACTIONS puts him a beat slower than my ACTIONS. I still have the advantage in every area except for the instinctual "startle reflex" trigger we all have that causes what FBI guys and many crime scene analysts refer to as "defensive wounds". There we're probably tied...but my training in movement probably gives me a shade greater speed than him and the fact that I have the advantage of ACTION and he has the disadvantage of REACTION usually gives me a significant advantage in the initial attack that hopefully I don't squander.

If you haven't already done so, you should research the OODA Loop. It talks about the decision making process in a combat situation, and you're saying a lot that it covers. It was developed by Col. Boyd and is all about how to keep the opponent reacting to you. Based on the statement I quoted, I think you would really like it.

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[ATACX GYM]

If you haven't already done so, you should research the OODA Loop. It talks about the decision making process in a combat situation, and you're saying a lot that it covers. It was developed by Col. Boyd and is all about how to keep the opponent reacting to you. Based on the statement I quoted, I think you would really like it.

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You routinely impress me, Josh...and that's not an easy thing to do. At all.

I ran across Col Boyd by accident, years ago. I'm still gathering his works and the works of his cohorts, and in the process I'm constantly refining my own ATACX GYM approach.

Observation.

Orientation.

Decision.

Action.


My Practical Functionalism philosophy+OODA is basically one compound principle which is the underlying, driving force behind my ATACX GYM attack methods. We blast people with highly adept unorthodox attacks in the shortest OODA Loop cycle possible, and that's how we operate. Depending on which Kenpo system you're from, you can have up to 144 movement patterns at your disposal. Imagine functionalizing those patterns and using them against every single dominant extant attack and for every single dominant expression of defense that we as civilians security types and LEOs are likely to face [ as defined by criminal stats and reports ]. Imagine having 144 sequences that you can use to Pass the Guard. Disarm a knife wielding attacker. Escape or overcome a multifight. Rescue a friend loved one or stranger in need. 144 sequences that are devastatingly effective whether you're unarmed, whipping around chuks, a knife, a bottle, a brick, a sword, a bat, or a gun. 144 sequences that you can use regardless of the weapon you have or don't have against an armed or unarmed assailant. 144 sequences that your opponent has NEVER SEEN BEFORE. 144 sequences that can be modified instantly to whatever situation and brought to bear in fractions of a second.That, in a nutshell, is just the beginning of what we do in my Gym.

I actually mention Col. John Boyd and OODA in my upcoming intro DVD series tentatively titled KENPO QUICK FIXES...

 

[Josh Oakley]

I can't claim I came across it on my own. When I was training under Frank Dux, it was required reading from Day One.

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[Josh Oakley]

The main difference was, rather than being specifically unorthodox, we lengthened the opponent's OODA loop through superior positioning, using attacks that work best for the individual.

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[Cyriacus]

Well, I guss we will agree to disagree. AFAIAC "Generally" the statement is still wrong. Of course having no idea how you define TKD we could be talking about radicaly different things. But "generally" the statement ignores the use of the legs in generating power in hand techniques which makes it objectively false.

You still dont see what I was saying, Good Sir.
I am not going to sit here and explain every tiny aspect of Power Generation. I was focused on one part of it for the sake of the Discussion at hand, which is not "How exactly and by which parts of the body is Power generated in TKD and Boxing". My Statement is Accurate, My Statement is not All Inclusive. It isnt all inclusive, otherwise itd just be dabbling into total irrelevance.
Youre free to write about every single aspect by which Power comes about in TKD and Boxing, and base it on that, and it will change nothing, because that is not what I was addressing.

 

[Tez3]

I do have one complaint about the videos...do you have to do them outside on what looks like a lovely warm day when some of us are freezing our bits off?

 

[Gemini]

I do have one complaint about the videos...do you have to do them outside on what looks like a lovely warm day when some of us are freezing our bits off?

Lol. Being born and raised in the frozen tundra, it is fun to flaunt it if you've got it.

 

[Tez3]

Lol. Being born and raised in the frozen tundra, it is fun to flaunt it if you've got it.

We're snowed in, I'll chuck another log on the fire and watch these videos again. I have trouble translating what I see into action, I have to actually drill something quite a few times before I get it. Talking to other women I'm not the only one, men seem to be able to learn easier from just watching, we seem to need to actually do it.

 

[ATACX GYM]

We're snowed in, I'll chuck another log on the fire and watch these videos again. I have trouble translating what I see into action, I have to actually drill something quite a few times before I get it. Talking to other women I'm not the only one, men seem to be able to learn easier from just watching, we seem to need to actually do it.

I have never heard this before...and I don't recall my female clients ever saying such a thing. Usually I hear that women are smarter than we are so they tend to get stuff BEFORE they do it and then fuss at us as we caveman our way through the same process.

On the other hand? I have never seen a transformation quite as complete as when a woman who was formerly not amongst the more assertive and confident of individuals trains in the martial arts and realizes that she's good. The first time I see a woman blast a big teen or boy with a tech that rocks drops and stops him? Or catches somebody in a subhold ? That look on her face is freakin priceless. She just went from Olive Oil to Batgirl. And when she starts doing it consistently? WHEW!! It's like watching Minnie Mouse turn into Wonder Woman...never to be Minnie again. I absolutely love that stuff. J.Lo on ENOUGH is just the beginning...