All good stuff. Sometimes stepping into the punch so they can’t get full extention works.
Ok, there’s a few replies now, so I’ll throw in a spin.
Head shot - Stay focused, keep you mouth closed and your neck tightened, when it lands go with it. if you are in close range, it is my experience that the worst thing you can do is move back, move in instead to cut off the power in the punch. By moving back while in range you are allowing the punch to come in at full force cut it off, attempt to deflect with the arm and as well, attempt to take the strike in the forehead. The forehead can woithstand the most direct force as far as your head is concerned. By moving in and cutting off the power you are also presented with the opportunity to launch a pretty severe counter with an uppercut. For jabs, crosses and hooks you want to make sure that when the strike lands your head doesn’t “whip back”. Try not to take it to the ear, the chin, the mandible or the bridge of the nose. However if you must then cutting off the power of your opponents punch will help you more than attempting to move away when you are at too close a range.
Body shot, always keep the elbows down as this is the position of strength. Tense the abs and try to take the shot in the obliques (the muscles covering your rib cage. Instead of to the solar plexus which can cause internal damage if you are not conditioned or prepared. Better sore ribs than damaged organs yes? Again, step in to cut off the power and counter with what you have. Generally an uppercut is very useful at this range and it allows you to maintain the position of strength.
Anybody disagree with this? If so why?
peace
No Kung–this is what I am told when I box. I was looking at the whole thing from a perspectve of “it’s already there,” but if I have time to mitigate, but not eliminate, the force of the impact, then those are the things to do.
My elbows are always down though 
Or I eat focus mitt until they are…
“Tense the abs and try to take the shot in the obliques (the muscles covering your rib cage. Instead of to the solar plexus which can cause internal damage if you are not conditioned or prepared. Better sore ribs than damaged organs yes?”
Wouldn’t you rather take a winding shot to the solar plexus than suffer a broken rib? Especially as most people crunch their solar plexus till the cows come home but rarely work on their obliques?
Nope I would always prefer the shot to the obliques or rib cage over the solar plexus or lower abs.
Even if you work the heck out of your abs, a strong punch can take your wind and damage your internal organs when delivered to the abs.
Besides, your rib cage is ipso facto there to defend your internal organs. I would prefer a cracked rib over a damaged organ any day.
peace
True.
On this very topic, long ago in a KFO forum far away, Rolls once said you should “absorb the punches”. I agree with Rolls. You should absorb the horrendous punishment your opponent dishes out to you, absorbing the brutally horrific blows to your body and your face. Don’t become alarmed as your facial bone structure begins to crack and shatter. Rolls has it going on; he knows what he’s talking about.
Absorb the damage. Take it, become one with the blows. Only in this way will you become a true martial artist.
Once you get out of intensive care, that is.
Well, I am not certain that absorbing is the best thing you can do in every instance of being striken. Deflection of the striking energy is more advantageous than absorbing. Evasion, deflection then absorption as the last resort. Even then, rejection of the energy through conditioning can prevent too much absorption of the strike, hence tension and rollaways.
Cuttng off the power of a strike is a technique that many will instinctivley not do. This is a learned reaction to be sure.
It is my experience that in the end, the ability to take strikes can only be learned vis a vis direct experience. Conditioning for them in CMA involves various gongs and exercises, but the proof is in the pudding as they say.
Luckily for the CMAist, there is the benefit of centuries of puddings. Same goes for many martial arts not cma.
Oh that rolls :rolleyes:
peace
If your opponent is in range of you then chances are your in range to strike back at them. I’ll totally agree with Kung lek, one the best ways i been told to handle an attack is to attack back. How many people do you know can continue punching full force with a fist planted in their own face. Move forward, Evade/Jam his attack and throw some of your own. It’s been said dozens of times the best defense is a good offense. You might get sideswapped a bit but you sent a message of your own and if jammed properly the punches power is cut by atleast 50% which aint that bad. A little bit better than curling up and hoping anything doesn’t get broken, that’ll get your adrenaline flowing some and it’ll get rid of some of the initial fears of getting hit. The least it can do is put you in a fighting mood.
bump, cuz i need to read this later cuz i don’t really have time now.
IronFist
Never have I ‘seen’ or been ‘prepared’ to take a shot. When I get hit, it is either from a ****ed good set-up, I goofed, or chance positioning.
So, I would disagree with all of the above. I can not flex my neck muscles on contact. I DO NOT keep my chin down..ever. Body shots will be partially absorbed by my ribs and deflected by my movement…naturally. I can not make myself turn nor angle myself just to take a shot. This seems unrealistic.
I suppose, if you are play fighting or perhaps boxing style sparring/fighting, where the name of the game is to wear your opponent down, then some to all of what you post is plausable. For me, I do not play nor box nor spar for sport, so ‘wearing’ down is not a factor.
I prescribe and teach a 3 second rule. If my opponent is not hurt in 3 seconds of contact/clash/melee…whatever you want to call it, then I have done something wrong or my opponent has run away out of my reach, so I will stop and wait for the next clash. Then the 3 second rule starts anew. In my perfect world, only one 3 second count is required. That is what we train for.
I am moving. My opponent is moving. I want to move better.
nospam.
Hi No spam.
Contraction in range and anticipation rather than on contact.
Ultimately, it is better not to fight at all, but the hypothesis is in context to sparring or sport fighting.
Personally I would adhere to what you are saying and attempt to overwhelm and destroy the attack of whoever was putting me in a position of fighting at all. That’s how I was trained in Kung Fu and in personal life experience.
IE: End this as rapidly as possible.
But we aren’t always presented with people that have zero or less skill and to have the ability to withstand and survive the attack is as valuable as the ability to end it quickly. (yin/yang)
Rarely is a streetfight a sparring match and even more rarely is it strictly a question of gentlemanly fisticuffs. This is imho true.
Tightening the jaw and neck while rolling with a punch will give you that little extra you need to not be knocked unconcious. Hardening to withstand the strikes to the body will also aid in maintaining your wind if you should take one to the solar plexus.
Cutting off the power of your opponent by moving in instead of away will allow you to begin your attack from a position of strength.
So, I agree with you in context to the bitter reality of non sportive combat. But I also think that it doesn’t hurt to know what to do to give yourself an edge when it is you at the disadvantage.
peace
Indeed, my fellow Canadian. Isn’t that what gung fu is about..how do the American’s say - take it to the max 
nospam.
As much as I hate to agree with merryprankster, I think his answers are the ones that I would go with.
If you have enough time to see the blow coming because it was telegraphed and the adreline rush hasn’t left you paralized then, wow, any number of things could happen.
If you catch it at the last second by instinct because of your training, then you ain’t got a choice in how things happen it should be instincive. If it isn’t and you fight someone on the street who has a bit of skill, then too bad for you.
Yeah Paul, god forbid you provide an explanation of how what you do is fundamentally different w/respect to power generation when discussing punching and comparing “apples to apples,” instead of going from thread to thread making oblique references to “it all being boxing,” when that wasn’t at all what I said.
Geez, that’d be horrible, wouldn’t it? You might even have to figure out what to say.
LOL,
yeah that would be a *****.
It’s all boxing. much easier.
hehe
My friend–you make it fundamentally IMPOSSIBLE to become frustrated with you.
EXCELLENT kung fu there bud–and that ain’t no “mouth boxing!”