Defending Stick Attacks G3 -Training Syllabus

Against an underhand stick attack, the attacker is striking with a vertical stick attack upwards. To avoid the impact with stick, we’re using, of course, the stabbing defense, where you are sending your forearm and hand to meet the stick in an acute angle. The body defense is moving diagonally forward, including removing the back leg out of the line of the upcoming stick.

To enable an effective hand defense, one has to lower the shoulders and the chest, to meet the attack below the knee level of the defender. In order for the stick to be deflected outward, one has to keep the chest in a parallel direction towards the attacker, meaning do not sink with your shoulder down. This will create a triangle that sends the stick outward. The other hand protects the head, and from that level, goes diagonally down to meet the upcoming attack. Usually you will grab the opponent’s hand. Extremely important, the defense must meet the stick near the hands of the attacker. Whether it’s one hand or two hands attack. Be sure that your head is not in the line of the upcoming stick. So do not lean with your head towards the stick. The opposite, lean away from it.

The components of the hand defense, which is very low, to be able to deflect the attack relatively early, the principle of the triangle, so the stick goes outward. The other hand, which protects the head and then goes to the control from above. The body defense, leaning forward, moving diagonally forward and taking the back leg out of the line, while trapping the opponent’s hand. Counter attacking with the back hand, continuing with more counter attacks. Double control, meaning you grab also the stick. And the finishing mode, which can be disarming, more counter attacks as needed, then moving away from the danger zone.

One can see all these elements of hand defense, body defense, control, counter attack and disarm, also in the dry drilling. Pay attention how the defender is moving out of the channel of attack. Pay attention that you are practically defending with the rear hand. Meaning, opposite leg to hand. In the example, advancing with the right and defending with the left. This is essential in order to create a deflection that goes outward and doesn’t stay within the line of your body.

Against an overhand stick attack, the attacker is coming from the side and tries to land a stick on your head. Start with a stabbing hand defense, while turning towards the attacker and stepping diagonally forward to get out of the line and the channel of the attack. Practically, you are bursting forward, sideways, after turning.

Executing the hand defense and the body turn, practically brings you in front of the attack. Like this, you are able to deflect the attack, while hiding your head under your upper arm. You’re stepping a large step, with the leg close to the opponent. The moment you turn and lift your leg, you’ve got a back leg to push strongly with, so you’re able to advance and burst towards the opponent. You are turning your chest towards the opponent and, as soon as possible, the back hand is grabbing the opponent’s attacking arms. The defending hand is now able to counter attack strongly and fast. As practically you’re switching from defense and control to the counter attack, your back leg is continuing to advance and becoming the front leg, bringing you to the side or even behind your opponent. As you understand, this is practically a variation on the defense against a vertical stick attack downwards, the overhand stick attack, going to the dead side, going to the outside.

A defense against a horizontal stick attack, the attacker is coming from the side, the stick is directed towards your chest, and the natural response, starts from two hands down. This is a variation of the technique against a stick from the side, sort of a baseball swing, bursting forward with the shoulder towards the attacker.

Here, because the attacker is coming from your side, you should be moving sideways as soon as you can, to cut the distance and get close to the opponent, while keeping the chest towards the attack. Keep one hand low and the other hand, the closer one, high. The low hand is practically directed downwards. The shoulder is relatively high. The other hand is protecting the head and the face, elbow is low, palm is open. The two hands are creating a relatively large wall, defending your upper body. Bursting towards the attacker is possible because you have a back leg. Even at the moment that you start.

Get as close as possible to the opponent and with the back hand, trap the weapon or the attacking hands, as soon as possible. The front hand becomes free and this is the attacking hand. Counter attacks can be delivered with a closed hand, with the knees, with a headbutt, and also it is possible to trap with the front hand and attack with the back hand, the hand that was defending. You can see that the body defense is practically diagonally backwards, meaning to the initial position. This creates a better absorption of the attack. It also gives you a bit more time to defend yourself.

As was done previously, the disarming is executed while one hand is trapping the forearms of the opponent and the other one is grabbing the stick and pulling it to the other side of the head. Naturally, it’s possible to attack with the stick while disarming or after disarming. If it is needed, attack with the stick again. You can do it while holding the stick with two hands, sort of like a rifle, or with one or two hands at one end. This is appropriate attacks, the last option is the long range. When you hold the stick with two hands, one at each end, this is suitable to attack at a closer range.

Against an horizontal attack with a stick coming towards your chest, attack is from the side and your natural response brings two hands up. Using both palms and forearms to create a large area for defense, you’re absorbing, defending the stick attack and the movements of the attacker’s hands. With the body defense you are minimizing the distance to the opponent. Your body defense is diagonally backwards in comparison to the initial position. Crunch with your body, contract the abdominal muscles, lower your head, lower your shoulders and torso. Meet the attack with the area of the forearms with the fleshy part. This should be done in a slanted angle. Small circle with the forearms and the palms will create a better absorption of the attack.

The first counter attack can be with the knee, if the hands are still busy, or with a hammer strike sideways, while the far hand is controlling the weapon. Also, possible to control the hands of the opponent. Execute the appropriate counter attacks and then continue to the next mode. Practically, this is a variation on the two techniques, which are defending horizontal stick attack using both forearms, and the other technique is defending with both forearms against a horizontal stick thrust. Both techniques were presented in the graduate level two video.