One of my favorite practices when fighting is to keep an eye open for the opponent to bring himself to a parallel stance to me(my right forward, their left, or vice versa). Then, I step 45 to that side as soon as their lead foot lands in parallel stance to me, then bring my rear foot up and step directly in, attacking. This works quite well, and thus far I have seen one variation that comes up.
When I’m going against kickers, they like to let me step 45, then they try to side kick me with their lead leg, in an attempt to stop me stepping directly into them. In that scenario, I have worked on after stepping 45, hooking the sidekick with my rear hand(basically cradling it), using my waist to turn the kick away from my body. With that waist turn, I use my lead hand to press the opponent’s chin back, then I step into them by bringing my rear foot forcefully behind the opponents supporting leg, and throw them. The technique started out really rough, but I work on it all the time, and now its getting more fluid.
What do you crazies like to do from parallel stance? What are your thoughts on what to look out for from your opponent in parallel? Does the stuff I outlined above have any glaring defficiencies that will get me plastered in the future?
I’m not quite understanding what you said, are their feet parrallel to each other, or their lead with yours. Either way, sounds like you have a plan, practiced it, and making work … and that’s all that matters.
Nice.
I step to the outside of the opponent’s lead leg, ideally going for the back of their head, but either way, if succesful, taking their weak side.
With parallel stance, I’m not meaning a stance like horse or bow stance, but a description of your stance in relation to your opponents. Basically, one person has their right side/leg in the lead, and the other has their left leg/side in the lead. Using less relative directions, if two fighters are facing off, one facing North and one facing south, they will be considered parallel in relation to stance if their legs are on the same side, either both east or both west.
I’ve seen a couple of variations going to the inside. One is to step 45 degrees to the inside of their lead with your lead to throw a spinning back kick. Another is to step 45 degrees inside their lead with your rear foot and use your lead foot to deliver a sidekick. Both require excellent timing.
I stay in one stance most of the time, so it’s important to me to be able to fight against a parallel-stanced or cross-stanced opponent equally. The step you described is used alot in wing chun, it’s called the 3-angle step. The difficulty is that the opponent can back up slightly and rotate so as to face you directly, but using this footwork unexpectedly or when the opponent is immobile is very advantageous. Good news if you draw the kick out, if they’re smart they’ll turn first, then kick so that’s it’s not so easy to get behind them. Always be ready to deflect a thrusting kick when you move in. I like to scoop out with my rear arm, too.
One example of a technique I like from a parallel stance: a lead leg round kick to the back. This if you get to the outside of the opponent.
-FJ
Good point on the thrust kick. I’ll work on my repertoire to include that potential! For a while, the sidekick was stopping me on entering against these kickers, and it was ticking me off. With hooking the leg now, I’ve got them in the position where they are trying to figure out their response. You might have helped me stay ahead of them by mentioning the thrust kick, as this seems to be the logical next step.
I’d like to figure out a few more ways to get in throws when my opponent and I are parallel. I’m so throw crazy lately: being big, throwing makes me look like a crazed barbarian or something.
We trained a couple throws from parallel stances at Monkeyslap Too’s shaui jao seminar. The one I remember is you get into a fairly deep horse so that you knee sticks into the back of his leg, disprupting the root, with your arm laying in front of the guy’s midsection, you just rotate your own torso so the guy falls over backwards.
-FJ
i’m pretty basic i guess. if they are parallel to me like that i like to side kick to their knee. if i step in at 45 i like to step into a fairly strong punch like a hook or any setteling strike.
GDA,
That’s basically what I do when the entrance is clear, break through and pummel. The other techniques are for when my opponent tries to block the way with kicks.
Fa Jing,
That sounds like a nice, simple throw. I’d love to see it done. What sort of set up does it require?
Most throws seem to be set up with a punch to the head or body to shock the opponent. Sometimes they are punching you and you cut an inside angle to the punching arm with your own thrusting arm, the point is to get hip -to -hip so your can control their gravity. This throw in particular, I think you could throw a lead punch to the ribs and keep moving in, stepping with your lead foot behind their lead leg. But, I’m no expert in throwing, Water Dragon or MonkeySlap Too could answer this question.
Fellas?