Tactics of Attack

The following tactics can be used with many techniques.  Under some of these points I have listed several techniques to illustrate the usage of the tactic, but these tactics are not limited to these techniques only.

1. Simple Attack.

This is where the black belts live, as they are dependent upon more thantechnique for success.

       A. Oizuki, right hand

        B.Mae geri, right foot

        C.Yoko geri, left foot after stepping right foot to left foot.

2. Rapid Combinations. 

Each technique is a full power strike.  These are not fakes.  The idea is to overwhelm the defender with incoming assault.

       A. Oizuki, gyaka zuki, mawashi geri

        B.Mae geri, mawashi geri (same foot)

        C.Left Mae geri, right mawashi geri

        D.Oi zuki,  uraken uchi, Yoko geri keage  (all these techniques are with the right side, or left side)

3. Faking

You are simply trying to lure his defense away from your intended target by executing a technique that is not committed.

        A.Attack as though to do mae geri, raising the knee, but set the foot down, and execute oizuki.

           (May I say, this almost always works)

        B.Haito uchi to yodan, gyakazuki chudan.

        C.Mikazuki geri chudan, yoko geri chudan.

4. Timing change.

The idea here is to lure the defender into blocking the technique, but by changing the timing of the delivery on the target his block is early, or late.

        A.Oizuki, kizami-zuki, gyaka-zuki present timing change.  They all look the same until the latter half of the technique. 

           Oi zuki is the fastest  delivery, followed by kizami zuki, then steppingg yaka zuki.

        B:Yoko geri keage looks the same as yoko geri kekomi in it’s beginning, as does yoko fumikomi, but the speed to the target is much

            different. These three side kicks illustrate a classical timing change technique.

5. Pressing.

As the attack is made with right oi zuki,press the defenders leading hand with your left hand, pushing it into his body,and in a downward motion.  This will prevent him from using this hand to block the punch.  It will also “seat his balance” by pressing his hand backward and downwards somewhat as you press so as to prevent him from evading the attack.  You do not want to propel his body backwards, as this will diminish the power of your punch.  You want him off balance only enough that he can’t effectively counter, but not moving backwards.

6. Unexpected attack.

The idea here is to attack the opponent at such a time that he does not think you can, or will attack him.

        A:The opponent will not expect an attack when he thinks he is too far away.

           In order to use this tactic, you must study Ma and Ma-ai.  A good technique to use is inadzuma zuki

        B:In a contest environment, many opponents are not ready immediately after bowing.

        C:Dis-passionate attacker:

           Rather than making a spirited, aggressive attack, walk calmly up to opponent with no obvious fighting spirit and cole cock him.

7. Set a pattern, break the pattern.

This is not a tactic you would use in a real situation.  However in a”free fighting” engagement you will find that it works almost every time it is tried.

        A:Attack twice with same technique or techniques, on the third approach end the approach with a different technique, or to a different target area.

        B:Attack twice with same technique or techniques, on the third approach use the same techniques but add an additional technique to the end of the set.

At this point we are changing our mind set to a defender’s viewpoint

8.  Sen-no-sen

This is an “offensive defense”tactic.  You have no intention of defending against whatever attack may be made against you by the opponent.  You are reading his physical body language in perceiving his “moment of attack”.  Laying in wait for the attack of the opponent, when you perceive that he is physically on the verge of making his attack, you hit him in the early stages of it with a pre-selected technique.  The more vulnerable you seem to be to the opponent, the more obvious will be his moment of attack.  After having studied “moment of attack” in ippon kihon kumite, this tactic is almost infallible.

9.  Sen-sen-no-sen

10.  Sen