3 Easy Ways

3 Easy Ways

to

Boost Your

Fighting Ability

By Jason Stanley

www.karatetips.com

http://www.karatetips.com

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"Are You Ready To Boost Your

Fighting Ability...

And Have Your Sparring

Partners Shake Their Head In

Disbelief At Your New Found

Skills?"

By Jason Stanley

www.karatetips.com

Hey thanks for your interest in this ebook.

Although this publication is brief, it�s packed full of tips to help you improve your

sparring skills.

While you may be familiar with some of the concepts and ideas I�m about to share, the

important point is that these ideas will now be brought into FOCUS for you. Too often

we (as fighters) forget about the simple ideas and strategies, but in reality a lack of

results can almost always be traced to the basic concepts.

But why should you believe me?

Well, let me really quickly share with you my background so you know where I�m

coming from. Would that be ok? (If not, skip this page, go to the next)

At the time of writing it�s been almost 25 years since I began martial arts. And for 20 of

those I almost exclusively studied and taught karate (still do � in fact that�s my �job� if

you like. I run a full time school and over the last 8 years have taught about 8,000+

classes.)

I also competed for many years in karate kumite and placed amongst Australia�s (yep,

that�s where I�m from) top competitive fighters back in the early �90s. I�ve fought over

80 fights in 7 different countries, trained with and learned from world class coaches,

world champions and hundreds of international competitors who compete at the highest

level. So the information I�m sharing with you is not only proven time and time again to

work, but comes from a myriad of successful sources.

I retired from karate tournament in 2006, after a successful career, but I couldn�t get

the �bug� out of my system. I love to fight competitively, so in 2007 I took up

competitive full contact stick fighting (WEKAF), and last year in 2010 won a world

championship at the age of 38 (yikes!). Much of my stick fighting success comes from


applying what I learned over the years from karate and what I�m about to share with

you.

Anyhow, I've put together a collection of articles that have featured in my KarateTips

Newsletter - Kachi!, that are dedicated to helping you understand more about the

science behind fighting - for the dojo and competition (what I call fighting dynamics).

(While we're on that subject, if you haven't done so already, please sign up for the

KarateTips Newsletter at http://www.karatetips.com . It's a free publication full of tips

articles and informative information to help you improve your fighting, kata and

teaching skills...)

Before we get started, here's one extremely important point I wish to make...

Always remember that it's not just "practice, practice, practice" that will improve your

skills. In fact, this alone is a slow and painful way to improve. Keep in mind that bad

practice makes bad technique.

The best way to improve is by learning the right information, deepening your

understanding and then practicing the right way, while being self-critical and making

corrections along the way. That's when you'll see the best results for you and if you

teach, your students.

So anyway, I hope you find these concepts, strategies, techniques and tactics helpful.

There is something here for everyone, no matter what level you're at - so read away...

And enjoy!

Sincerely,

Jason Stanley

www.karatetips.com

-

This first article from the KarateTips Newsletter archive is one I wrote back

in 2003. It is the foundation of good footwork and the backbone of

becoming a great fighter. If you learn nothing else about fighting

dynamics, learn this�



"Learn To Use Your Feet...

Master this and watch your fighting ability

explode!"

By Jason Stanley

7th October, 2003

Many new students have difficulty using their feet. I'm not referring to kicking in this

article; I'm talking about footwork, positioning and dynamic movement. This is one

thing that is difficult to master. Until you have it "under your belt" so to speak, you

don't use your feet in the correct way and will be left frustrated and disheartened.

Footwork is one of the foundations of karate. It doesn't matter if it's in self defense,

kihon, kata or kumite - footwork is required in all four aspects of your training. If you're

willing to learn and want to improve then I'm about to show you exactly how easy it is

to move once you understand and know how to apply these concepts.

This might be basic revision for some of us, but for most it is the realization of an

important concept.

First let's consider why footwork is important...

1. Good footwork gets you into striking range where you can hit.

2. Good footwork gets you out of striking range where you'll avoid being hit, or

worse yet, killed.

It's important to have good footwork to take you from point A to point B so you

maximize your opportunities...

quickly

smoothly

precisely

Good footwork also gets you back from point B to point A, or from point B to point C,

where point C is a different position to that in which you started.

Key Point

It doesn't matter if it's competition or in the street, the same footwork principles

apply. It's just the techniques that differ.

Before you can move effectively, you must be on the balls of your feet as this is the

part of your foot that is responsible for your balance and dynamic movement. Don't

believe me? Stand in your forward stance and put all your weight on your heels by

lifting your toes and balls of your feet off the floor - try to move around.

The most effective way to move is by sliding rather than stepping. Although there are

certainly times when you need to step rather than slide, please remember the following

key point....

Key Point

Sliding will always be faster than stepping! The foot that moves first is the one in the

direction that you wish to move.

I have listed the following 4 movements in order from fastest to slowest:

Slide forward

Slide backward

Step forward

Step backward

So if you're only good at stepping, you're going to be in trouble when you come across

someone who knows how to slide dynamically!

I'm not going to teach you how to step, as different styles place emphasis on different

aspects of stepping, plus your sensei can show you that. Instead I'd like to break down

the 4 basic sliding movements and discuss how to perform each.

Moving forward

To move forward from your forward stance slightly pick up your front foot and drive

powerfully and quickly with your rear leg. You will largely depend on the ball of your

rear foot and toes to provide the push-off. This "slide" will propel you forward. Only lift

your front leg slightly. Don't completely transfer your weight onto your rear leg,

otherwise you will be working against the direction in which you want to move.

The key to this is that you are transferring very little weight to your rear leg. With

practice you'll know when you do this technique correctly. But an easy way to test your

forward slide is by trying the following exercise.

Stand in your forward stance and pick up your front foot 2 inches without transferring

your weight to your rear leg. What happens? You fall forward because you have around

50% of your weight over your front foot which is no longer on the ground and you also

have tension in your stance that causes you to move forward.

Now when you want to drive forward (instead of just falling), pick up your foot slightly

and push with your rear leg before your front foot hits the floor. Viola! You've just slid

12-24 inches depending on how hard you pushed.

Important

For this technique do not move your back foot first! If you step up with your back foot

and then lift your front foot, pushing with your back leg you will get a jerky, awkward

movement that will take longer and usually give away your technique to your

opponent.

Moving backward

You guessed it, moving backward requires that you do the exact reverse of moving

forward. So this time without transferring your weight forward, pick up your back foot a

fraction and use your muscles in your front leg to push backward. Again, rely on the

ball of your foot and toes--this time of your front foot--to drive you backwards.

Moving sideways

Moving sideways is a little more complicated, but uses the same principle. For this

example let's assume you are standing with your left leg forward. If you want to move

left, pick up your left foot slightly. Which way do you fall if you don't push? Forward,

not left! To prevent yourself from falling forward, push to the left with your rear (right)

leg as soon as you pick up your front (left) foot.

Of course moving right is the exact opposite of moving left. First pick up your rear

(right) leg a fraction and drive right with your left (front) leg.

Other directions

Moving in other directions requires mixing together two of the above techniques. eg.

Moving forward and moving left. Depending on how much emphasis you want to place

on going forward relative to moving left is up to you. You simply drive more in the

direction you want to go with your other leg. It's just deciding which way you want to

go and lots of practice that will increase your directional accuracy.

The "Double Shuffle"

Stringing together two single shuffles (or slides) will give you a double shuffle. This is

an extremely easy way to move forward or backward very quickly. As soon as you

complete your first shuffle forward, immediately repeat the process and you'll have

created a double shuffle.

This is exceptionally handy in a sparring situation when you throw a front hand/rear

hand combination. Throw the first punch on the first shuffle and the reverse punch on

the second shuffle. Be sure to keep your hands up! You'll find that you "cross the gap"

between you and your opponent quickly and easily.

For advanced users....

The first time I saw my sensei do this I was quite impressed and was inspired to learn it

as soon as possible! This technique again allows you to cover a lot of ground very

quickly. You'll cover about the same distance as with a double shuffle but in less time,

giving you the valuable element of surprise. This technique uses the same dynamic

movement as a double shuffle but with a twist.

Make your first shuffle forward, but before your front foot touches the ground, drive as

hard as you can with your rear leg a second time. It's kind of like a double shuffle but

your front foot doesn't touch down between the first and second shuffle as it does with

the double shuffle.

You can apply this same concept to moving backwards when you have to get out of

range very quickly. Lift your rear foot and drive with your front leg backwards, but

before your rear foot touches down, drive again with your front leg in the backwards

direction.

In closing here are some important points to remember...

Don't over rotate or lean to compromise your stance when trying to strike your

opponent. Instead always use your feet to get as close as needed to do your

technique effectively.

Whether it be in the dojo or street always move your feet to the outside line of

your opponent's feet so you have the advantage of sweeping or throwing your

opponent across your leg.

Always move to the outside line of your opponent's feet so that you are out of

their firing line and you have the added advantage of striking unprotected

targets. You will notice from this position that they will have to punch across

themselves to try to hit you.

It's always better to move from Point A to Point B to Point C rather than staying

at Point B or moving back to Point A. Point C is the least most predictable

position after you've attacked.

Only lift your feet as much as you have to in order to propel yourself in one

direction or another. A good connection with the ground is important for strong

effective technique. Lifting your feet too high will transfer more weight onto your

other leg making it slower and more difficult to move into and out of position.

-

This next article is about utilizing one of the most underrated techniques in

kumite�

"Learn To Use One Of The Most Effective, Yet

Forgotten Techniques - Your Front Jab!"

By Jason Stanley

5th January, 2004

Over 80% of students I meet tell me they have problems knowing what to do when

they spar. So many thoughts are racing through their heads that they often get

overwhelmed by their options, making it virtually impossible to select a few things

which would rapidly accelerate their improvement in a fight. Rather than do something,

many fighters simply figure it's better to do nothing.

Bad option�but an understandable one! =)

After all there is so much to consider when fighting. Timing, distance, line work,

footwork, attack, defense, tactics, strategy and fighting combinations are just some of

the important areas! Break this down further and you have a myriad of individual things

to keep in mind. And all the while remembering not to get hit!

A good analogy to consider is that of a motor car. It is a very complex machine with so

much happening at any one time. However break this vehicle down and you'll find that

it basically comes down to a bunch of nuts, bolts and simple processes.

When fighting we also need to break it down into simple nuts and bolts. We need to

analyze every single point and dynamic process so we can understand and then build

our "fighting" vehicle to improve our skills. One great and often ignored technique is the

front hand jab. That is what this article is about; learning to use an incredibly effective

technique that anyone can immediately employ to increase their scoring frequency AND

reduce the occurrence of being hit!

Attacking

Close distance

Scoring with the front jab as a single technique depends on you being at "close

distance" with your opponent. Of course from this position your opponent can

score on you so be aware. Obviously staying so close for more than a moment is

dangerous.

However next time you find yourself in this situation, fire your front hand jab

towards your opponent's head being sure you focus your technique and recoil it

back to the guard position. Be sure to use your feet and quickly move to a safer

place immediately afterwards. Don't stay there trading punches!

Middle Distance

From this position you will not be in range to score with the jab, however this is

the perfect time to set up another technique! Use your front hand jab to protect

yourself as you "cross the gap". Throw your jab and move in behind it, leaving it

out to fill your opponent's visual field. The aim of this "set up" technique is not to

score, but to position yourself within range to strike with your reverse punch or

another similar technique.

Failing to protect yourself when crossing the gap may have you visiting your

dentist, or worse yet (in the street), have you knocked out. So make sure you

keep your guard up and strong.

In competition this is known as "mubobi" - disregarding one's own safety.

Defending

Moving

When moving around in a fight it's a good idea to think about your strategy and

pay attention to what your opponent is doing. At the same time you need to be

working. This means even while you are in the safe zone, you should have zero

down time. Keep moving, keep thinking, and keep pressuring your opponent

even when you have no intention of attacking!

An excellent way to keep your opponent at bay when sparring is to fire off your

front jab fast and often, even if you have no intention of scoring!

This simple strategy does two important things.

Firstly it helps you gauge the distance between you and your target, indicating to

you how close you are to scoring or being hit.

Secondly it makes your opponent wary of covering the gap to score. Consider if

your opponent was constantly using their jab as you were trying to attack them.

Would you immediately rush in to try to score or would you be wary of being hit

when crossing the gap? Would you think twice about how you set up your

technique?

Using your jab while moving around puts your opponent under pressure. They

will have to change their attack strategy to get around your jab.

Another way to think about this is to ask yourself the following question.

When is the best time to attack? I believe it's when your opponent is off-guard,

not ready; when they are stationary or have their hands are down! If you use

your jab as described above you avoid doing these things, making it difficult for

your opponent to attack! Do you see how this can dramatically reduce how often

you'll get hit?

Remember you want to make the fight as confusing and frustrating for your

opponent as possible, and as predictable and simple as you can for yourself.

For advanced users

Another great use of the front jab is to use it as a counter or forestalling

technique. Instead of countering or forestalling (hitting your opponent first as

they initiate their attack) with your reverse punch, use your jab instead.

Why use it?

It's uncommon and unexpected!

How is it used?

As a forestalling technique - as soon as you have any indication that your

opponent is attacking, cross the gap first and fire off your front jab instead of

your reverse punch. Be careful as it's easy to strike hard and fast!

As a counter technique - as your opponent attacks with reverse punch, smother

their technique with your rear hand and jab with your front towards the head. I

love this one!

In closing...

The front jab is often forgotten about even though it's one of the most effective

techniques you can use for both attacking and defending. It's fast. It's direct. It's

unexpected. What more can you ask for?

Until next time...

Good luck with your sparring!

-

The last article in the publication explains one of the most important and

yet most poorly applied kumite strategies. After reading and learning this,

never again will you be caught out because you didn�t know what to do�

"Improve Your Win/Loss Ratio

With This One Simple Strategy

- As Taught By The World's Foremost Tactical

Coach"

By Jason Stanley

1st July, 2003.

Some time back I had the good fortune to train under Sensei Antonio Oliva. Sensei

Oliva is regarded by many as the world's foremost tactical coach. Apart from being a

national and European champion, he was responsible for taking the Spanish team to

world level as the Spanish national coach.

He founded the Scientific Martial Arts Research Center in Spain and has produced world

champions in over a dozen countries. If you ever want to learn about the dynamics of

fighting from one of the world's best competitors and international coaches, attend a

course with Sensei Oliva.

The topic of this article discusses one simple concept that I learned from Sensei Oliva.

It is a single concept of fighting dynamics that, will take your fighting ability to new

levels when implemented.

Before I met Sensei Oliva, I had learned the basics of what I'm about to describe. I had

been consciously practicing what he was about to explain to me. However, once I fully

understood and actively thought about this concept while I fought, it helped me think

tactically while fighting. It changed my thought process of being "reactive" to my

opponent to becoming "proactive" as I anticipated my opponent's next move.

Key Point:

There is a huge difference in being reactive and being proactive! Although it may only

be a split second in the execution of your technique, it could be the difference between

being hit and staying safe, or scoring and not scoring.

The tactic I am referring to is using a circular defense when faced with a straight line

attack.

What does this mean?

A straight line attack means exactly that - you attack in a straight line directly at your

opponent. This does not limit you to only straight techniques such as mae ken zuki,

gyaku zuki or mae geri. It can also include circular techniques in your straight line

attack such as mawashi geri and haito uchi (ridge hand). Whatever the technique, your

attack from point A to point B takes the shortest path possible: a straight line.

Now consider the options you have when defending a straight line attack. There are

several you can use. The three basic defenses are as follows, all of which have several

variations.

Block and counter

Anticipate / forestall / pick off

Circular defense

This article focuses on the last point, circular defense.

In the above diagram you'll notice the addition of point C which is the position the

defender usually moves to when using a straight line defense/evasion. This evasion is

commonly used and is a natural movement. It is easy for a defender to move

backwards as far away from the attacker as possible. While this might work at times, it

often has several disadvantages.

It is predictable; therefore your opponent can capitalize on it.

You can get yourself into an awkward position where your feet become close

together and your arms cover your head as you shy away from the attack. This

is a perfect opportunity for your opponent to take your legs with a double leg

sweep.

You can lose your stance and ability to counter their attack.

Moving backwards and punching will/should not score you a point under W.K.F.

rules, as it is considered ineffective because your weight is not behind your

technique.

Eventually your opponent will overpower you with a barrage of techniques if you

simply move backwards without offering any counter in return

Consider a circular defense instead. The diagram below explains how this works.

This is often called "breaking the line" (of attack). You will notice that the new Point D

will provide you with some great opportunities that are absent at Point C. For starters, it

is much faster to move (push) sideways than to step backwards, therefore your

chances of evading the attack are much greater.

Key Point:

You can always out maneuver a straight line attack with a circular defense.

The defender who reaches Point D instead of Point C has some opportunities that Point

C people do not. For example, if you move to Point D you will...

be within scoring range, instead of out of range

retain your guard, allowing you to throw a counter technique immediately

have the element of surprise as your opponent usually expects you to retreat

backwards

if you move to their blind side (outside line) your opponent will have to punch

across themselves or reposition at least 45 degrees to hit you. This all takes time

and gives you an opportunity to counter their attack. It also makes it very

difficult for your opponent to score on you.

Now that the benefits of a circular defense are apparent, below are the "how to" steps

to get to Point D.

At the first sign of your opponent attacking, you must move to the outside line. Do this

by turning your front foot so your toes are pointing in the OPPOSITE direction to which

you want to move. As you do this, slide your back foot across to accommodate the

change in direction of your stance. Now push backwards by lifting your BACK leg and

pushing/driving with your front leg in a backward motion at the angle as shown below.

This is just one example of a circular defense

started to think tactically while I fought, instead of

line attack with a circular defense, I started moving as I

was a huge step in making this technique effective.

Key Point:

By anticipating your opponent's attack and using a circular defense, you will be in

position, ready to score before they complete their technique. Reacting to your

opponent's attack gives your o

The above example is just one method of a circular defense that you can use against a

straight line attack. The other strategies are outside the scope of this article, but also

use circular defense as the foundation of their success.

(I discuss these and many other strategies and techniques in "Fighting Secrets

Revealed", which you can learn about by

This might all sound fairly simple

karate feel as though they do not know what to do when sparring. If you can

incorporate this simple, yet very effective strategy into your sparring, you will find that

you will out-position your opponent of

knew how to apply this strategy when I began competition fighting all those years ago!



to move. As you do this, slide your back foot across to accommodate the



st one example of a circular defense - breaking the line of attack. Once I

started to think tactically while I fought, instead of reacting to my opponent's straight

line attack with a circular defense, I started moving as I anticipated the attack. This

step in making this technique effective.



opponent's attack gives your opponent an opportunity to score on you.



foundation of their success.


Revealed", which you can learn about by clicking here.)

This might all sound fairly simple, but remember that over 80% of people practicing



position your opponent often, and as a result win more fights. I just wish I




to move. As you do this, slide your back foot across to accommodate the



breaking the line of attack. Once I

to my opponent's straight

the attack. This






, but remember that over 80% of people practicing



ten, and as a result win more fights. I just wish I


Wrapping it up�

So there you have it � 3 killer strategies for boosting your sparring skills. You should

have plenty to work with by applying these few ideas.

But I did say I would also tell you 2 other things.

1. The biggest mistake new fighters make�

2. And why UFC fighter Lyoto Machida is so hard to hit.

It should be no surprise that the biggest mistake new fighters make and the reason

Machida is so difficult to hit, are 2 sides of the same coin.

The former lack footwork, and can�t apply what you now know from reading these

articles. The reason the latter is statistically the least hit fighter in the UFC is because

he understands and applies these very concepts. To paraphrase a former opponent of

Machida, Stephan Bonnar said, �Lyoto is really good at making you just miss.�

And if you were ever looking for a concrete example in the public eye, of someone who

employs the use of the front jab, just take a look at another UFC fighter with superb

karate skills in Georges Saint Pierre. Remember that fight not too long ago at UFC 124,

GSP v Koscheck 2? I�m sure Koscheck would rather forget it, but this was a perfect

display of winning a fight almost exclusively by using the front jab.

I sincerely hope you learned something from this short publication, and for further

reading be sure to sign up for the KarateTips newsletter, and also check out the

resources below.

Sincerely,

Jason Stanley

www.karatetips.com


Resources & Products

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fighters. In this 165 page step by step home study course you�ll improve

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Learn more at: http://www.karatetips.com/karatekumite.aspx

�The KarateTips Newsletter�

Check out my KarateTips Newsletter where I share loads of tips, article and

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See it at: www.karatetips.com

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marketing ideas to help you become a better martial arts teacher and

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3 Easy Ways