Session 4: Defense Against a Charging Attacker

So in this session we're going to talk about a type of a impact weapon, a defense that's actually very rare, and that's when someone's coming at you with a Samurai sword type of a swing or attack. It happens very, very rarely, especially with a Samurai sword of course, but it's not here to say that it couldn't. The principle is actually very similar to the baseball bat swing, very similar, it's not exactly the same. So, if they're coming overhead, what's going to be important is that I'm creating an angle, it's another principle of fighting, I want to create angles. I don't want to fight directly from the front, I want to find a flank.

I have more options from the flank position than I do from the front when I fight. So finding dominant angles is always going to be an important principle, OK? But let's just say, even if I had set up to create a slight angle, because the time has, things are happening so fast, time is so brief. So, as he comes straight down, I'm putting my arm straight up, so as he swings down, as I'm creating an angle, this is sort of a deflection. Brief deflection as I sort of deflect the direct impact of that swing as he comes down.

So I'm stepping to the side, I'm doing a deflection, and now the rest is just the same as the baseball bat swing. Bang, still controlling here, just like I did, possible to get a takeaway from him. Just going to touch on this very, very briefly. One more time through, you'll get this, we're not going to spend a lot of time on it. Coming straight down, stepping to the side.

Notice was my footwork as I deflect, coming immediately coming over the top. So it's sort of one fluid motion. If you want to see it fluidly all the way through, boom, boom, I'm coming all the way in. same thing here, no gaps, leaks, or spaces controlling, counter attacking from there, if I have to grab my own fist, bang, bang, bang you get the idea and I can rip and take away from there. All the same options that we've already discussed, OK?

So that's defending against the Samurai sword style attack with an impact weapon. I see a bad guy showing intent at a distance, OK? Shrek is the bad guy right now. Commonly what we see happen here for untrained people or people who aren't familiar with this defense might be a better way for me to put it, is if we put them in a situation like this, typically what we'll see them do, as bad guy is charging in slow motion right now, this person will begin to move too soon. As they redirect, the bad guy's also redirecting but if you'll notice now, bad guy has the dominant angle.

I've given myself no advantage for doing this. Maybe I'm really super fast and I can just run away, right? Also, let's take a look at this. If he already has a head of steam and if I turn and run this way, maybe I can outrun that person and accelerate them but they already have momentum going my way. Now they're closing the distance on me from behind.

Can be especially dangerous if I'm unarmed with a distance weapon, we're going to do a little piece on this as a special feature with a press armed option also as a part of this class, OK, so just so you know. So the main principle here is lateral movement like we talked about in the previous sessions, OK? So as bad guy is moving closer to me, my instincts say to move now, but my skills I have to train and to learn, I want to get his momentum committed toward me until I can sidestep at the last past possible moment. So now I'm going to sidestep, his momentum's going this way, so now I can continue to circle around behind him, all right? Maybe I can escape now, I can get a barrier in between us, I can find an improvised weapon, whatever the case may be, all right?

So we'll do this right now at say a 50% speed just so you get the basic idea. Training this is important so that you can learn to time this appropriately, get some practice in on it, all right? But the main principle will actually, we believe from our point of view, will take you a long way. OK, so Larry's going to charge at me, he's charging and I'm going to sidestep at the last minute and now I'm circling around and perhaps I can get out this door and escape, or I can get a barrier between us, look for an improvised weapon, OK? Basic concept, concepts that are what are most important.

Concepts and principles are things that you can retain right away. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't practice. So this is dealing with an impact type of a threat when someone is charging at you, good? So go on and go out and train this as quickly as you can and we'll move on to the next session.