Every training program has development phases. Once you have been taught the essential toolkit, including basic cuts and thrusts and their defences, tactics, and strategies, you move into the isolation skill development stage to road-test your skills live.
This second stage is critical to building towards the final integration stage. In the old days, we used to teach some basic skills, then jump directly into the fighting stage with mixed results. These days, we spend a lot of time drilling skills. The drills become less set as we move forward towards our goals.
In my class, we have three levels of intensity for any drilling.
Light touch, Contact, Full Contact.
In either case, we intend to contact the target with our cut. We never do air cuts unless we miss.
In each case, we strive to be as accurate and use as much speed as possible. We also want the feeder to react correctly to any counter; eventually, the drill morphs into free sparring.
The feeder can feed the vertical and horizontal lines in the video above. The receiver can counter as they wish, and the feeder may counter the counters. The receiver can also attack first if they see an open line; for instance, hesitation may trigger a cut to a still hand.
The feeder does not exaggerate the technique to make it easy to counter; if the receiver fails, they slow down enough to push the receiver to improve. We do not train the feeder to lose.
The coaching concept can be used in our standup, clinch, and ground games. You can learn a lot from this kind of drilling; in my case, I picked up the following points to work on before I drill again.
Do not swear on video, coach.
Time the rounds.
Do not grab the sword blade.
My footwork is too slow.
The cuts are too slow.
I need to make cuts strong and use the correct body mechanics.
Cardio needs some, well, a lot of work.
We need to get outside or find a larger venue.
Continue to have fun and try things.
Some may wonder why we would publicly show our mistakes and progress, but we know the process has to be honest and authentic to our goals to work. We also enjoy the journey.
Killick Off Road Arts 