You have seen it many times in Martial Arts demonstrations or in the basic classes where one person throws a straight punch (or kick) and the other Martial Artists performances a successful perfect technique or even a series of techniques to finish off the attacker. The problem is the attack, in this case, the punch was extended far too long. What is even worst is often during the multiple follow up techniques, the attacker’s punching arm remains out in the air even after he or she has been hit with 2 or 3 strikes to the body. For the novice looking in, there is a sense of amazement, yet to the more experienced a shaking head of frustration. Could it just be the person in frustration watching has a sense of bias? If you are this person that has such a problem with the extended arms or legs in Martial Arts training and you are thinking, “That will never work in a real situation,” here are some points of view you should start focus in on for better of applications found in the striking, grappling, and weaponry arts.
The extended arm is a moment or snapshot in time for an Aikido practitioner to practice his defection and movement. For the Karate student, it is her way of executing basic stance work and seeing the vital points of the body to counter-attack. Have you ever tried to learn a new technique in Judo with a partner that is too resistant? If so, you, of course, told him to loosen up his arms so you could move into position for the throwing technique(s). Some of the best ways to gain the necessary repetitions of a technique in the grappling art of Judo is to have a training partner stand with her legs lined up and both arms extended out. This loose stance of your training partner gives you the chance to practice uchi komis (entering in to throwing practice).
Look back at the first time you saw how to do a triangle choke or a straight armlock from the guard in a Jiu Jitsu academy. Your instructor sent you off to the practice with a training partner that put his arms exactly in the right place for you to move your body into the correct distance to execute the technique. As a training partner to someone else, are you now seeing that you are much like the karate student by extending your arms lightly for the benefit of your training partners?
When functional Martial Artists see traditional training methods that showcase extended arms and legs in drilling contexts, it is often the case that their thinking is, “How is this going to help me in sparring or in the real situation?” Firstly, I all always tell people that sparring is a drill, and drills are drills. Sparring in the academy for Jiu Jitsu even with strikes added is a higher level of drilling although some might now want to hear that. We all do not start out sparring at a high level as a white belt in any Martial Art. Everything takes time to develop a strong base of working knowledge.
As we set goals and advance through the ranks we continue to add more and more knowledge. The wrestler practices strategies and setups so that his training partner will extend his leg in the right place at the right time for him to shoot in on the leg for the takedown. It is only as we age with time and/or gain more wisdom of the knowledge we have earned that the beginning of taking away happens. To me, this is when you realize that you are a black belt or Shodan (Beginning Degree). When you have to or by design remove steps to reach your goal, you become more efficient. There is a sense of black belt-wisdom in this type of application. As you take away more and more instead of adding knowledge, the core principles of your art are shown. The technique, which is more effective, is the example of the principle(s) of your boxing, karate, jiu jitsu, aikido, judo, and combatives. We are in a position to help each grow in the arts that we practice by giving input into improved training methods and new insights. When it is time for you to speak, please do not negatively express yourself of the traditional methods of learning that have been around longer than you. In time you will find the limitations of your art and how much you really understand and do not understand just yet. This is a good path to continue and extend your knowledge.
