I recently received some instruction on some new defense techniques in my curriculum in Sho Bin Ju. There are 5 defenses per belt and as I move up in rank in this system I'm enjoying the increase in complexity as well as the conceptual application the instruction provides.
We had a great lesson in class the other day where we had to practice our defenses for out current rank with a partner, but the defenses all had to be executed off of a left punch. This sounds like a simple task but the drill invokes a great deal of thought. How I would execute was different than how my partner would execute the same technique. It also caused a great deal more thought when we realized that we shouldn't just be practicing these defenses off of a left straight punch but a hook, reverse, and uppercut should all be included in the thought process for maximum versatility. We also were assigned to practice the same defenses off of a right kick with the same lessons to be applied. Not just a front kick, but a round, side and back kick should also be taken into consideration, and similar results were seen. My partner would execute one way while I did another (ie. he'd step to the inside and deflect while I'd step to the outside and grab).
It also caused us to stop and think because a lot of these defense techniques had to be executed on a totally different plane than normal, which caused us to have to set them up differently than we normally would. Movements were altered and footwork had to change to fit the situation appropriately.
None of these differences between partners were wrong per-say, but we did have some constructive discussions about why we thought one method was more effective than another, sometimes we'd agree and sometimes not but always pushing on to further our understanding of what's useful to each of us individually.
As you practice throughout your martial arts walk keep that in mind, especially when working defenses in a system like Sho Bin Ju, Kenpo or Taekwondo where we practice choreographed defense techniques. These techniques aren't meant to be executed in the basic manor they are taught when you first learn them, but are designed to provide an example of how that technique could be applied. It's up to each of us individually to study them and break them down so that they are effective against multiple attacks from multiple angles, and sometimes from multiple attackers.
To paraphrase the words of Bruce Lee, "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 techniques once, but the man who has practiced 10 techniques 10,000 times". Learn how to maximize the effectiveness of what you know. Black belt is an amazing goal, as is the title of Master, but in modern society I see too many who have that title but haven't really mastered what they know.
Train on.
