Fail to get in Quickly During a Weapons Defense and Face Disaster
The importance of the concept “getting in” cannot be overstated. While weapons defenses such as knife, handgun, and rifle/shotgun all begin with an effective redirection of the danger, ultimately a successful defense includes a powerful and aggressive entry to control the danger the weapon poses while delivering powerful combatives that scramble the attackers OODA loop and make a resolution to the conflict much more likely.
I find that students often develop a pause in their defenses between the redirection movements and the act of “getting in” – that is, moving into range to better control the danger the weapon poses while delivering combatives. The pause I’m referring to can cause a myriad of issues in completing the defense. Consider straight stab as an example. A pause between redirection and “getting in” (the entry) allows the defender to realistically defend the initial stabbing motion but cannot account for the series of stabs that are likely to follow. The pause is simply too slow for the defense, and the defender ends up back at the tip of the knife.
To mitigate this issue (the pause), try (1) bending your knees to (2) load the weight into your feet, to (3) allow your feet to push for the entry (getting you in) as you redirect. Also consider how you make your redirection, and try to develop a “lean” towards the attacker as you bend your knees to take the majority of your upper body inside the weapon. This sounds more complicated than it is in practice. Check out the video below for more detail.
…walk in peace
