Partner training, drills demos, and expectations.
This article is intended to be used as a guide to those training with safe tools. Do not attempt anything discussed within, unless with a qualified instructor.
Usually in training there are two parties, one who will give a “set up” an attack of a specific nature and the other who will counter the technique given.
What I want to do is discuss the dos and don’ts & the best way to maintain safety and function within this set up.
To do this we will look at two techniques, a blow to the head, and a bear hug from behind.
Part one: Cuts
The first case the blow to the head.
the attacker.
There are two main faults the attacker can give; the first is to strike too far away or off line from his target.
This means that the target will not be able to counter with an appropriate technique.
1a)For example, the intended attack is a zorn to the head (finishing through the head below the right side of the mandible). However the strike is delivered short (i.e. pulled up short of the target) and high.
The result of this is that: the target has no need to parry the cut (within the cut), but should in fact be counter striking to the attacker with no fear of reprisal then moving out.
The reason, the cut has no potential to harm, being delivered short high, and over the left shoulder.
1b)This will lead to a “sub” problem, whereby the attacker, having been struck with the unopposed counter, will seeing his own strike far from the voiding target redirect his strike back towards the target, and in this correction hit. “after the fact”.
The reason.
The cut as before the cut has no potential to harm, being delivered short high, and over the left shoulder.
The countering blow however due to this stalling will not cover the trajectory of the attackers blow with its own. So although the attacker has been struck he can realign his blow and continue on.
Part one(1a) of this problem occurs through the attacker not wishing to harm his target, the answer to this is that through aiming his blow at and slightly through his target, he will ensure his target can cover with line and form correctly.
1b) is caused through the stalling and reluctance shown in 1a) and a desire to correct the missed hit contained within.
This can be corrected easily through a well aimed dead meat cut.
The second mistake is the charged blow, and this has even greater potential to injure.
From the same set up the attacker delivers a zorn to the target’s left temple this time he steps in close prior to the blow and after receiving what he perceives to be a light hit(a dead meat cut) he ignores it continuing on to deliver an excessive blow.
This is common in people with no perception of the sword as a bladed weapon and reduces the art to stick fighting.
Often this is seen in sparring also, where egos flair and talented students are discouraged from landing a good more direct and quicker blow, for fear of the bludgeoning blow that will arrive in the post a second or so later.
The answer is this.
The cut that is from the attacker only gains mechanical superiority only after the mask or head of the attacker has absorbed the intersecting blow from the target.
Prior to this the void and angle change will make this will render his (the attackers blow mechanically weaker.
The target can regain this mechanical superiority by moving the head of his target(the attacker) with sufficient force to free his sword’s path to cover the blow.
(with a real sword of course the blow would carry through the face and thus the path with reasonable ease).
Again this is not desirable, so perception of the training tool(waster) as a real sword is vital.
The dead meat cut.
This is a vital tool in understanding blade arts; it is an understating of the force needed to cut a target without the cut throwing itself away from the target if unopposed, it is recognised by cutting with structure (from a determined point to another determined point) forming the finishing point in the minds eye, and recognising the pressure if that target is obstructed.
If a blow is delivered with excessive force or gripped too tightly the blow, it becomes not only more dangerous to train with and against.(bear in mind if you hit too hard, your partner is entitled to use sufficient force to keep themselves safe) but also unresponsive and irretrievable if needed for defence.
Basically you throw it out with a ton of force to hit, you will need to use a ton of force to pull it to parry.
This article is intended to be used as a guide to those training with safe tools. Do not attempt anything discussed within, unless with a qualified instructor.
