Stickfighting - A Practical Guide for Self-Protection

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Stickfighting: A Practical Guide for Self-Protection


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The American Self Protection Association, Inc.

The primary source of information for A.S.P. Stickfighting is taken directly from:Stickfighting - A Practical Guide for Self-Protection. Complete Instruction Manual for Menand Women, by E. S. Baltazzi, Chas. E. Tuttle, Tokyo, Japan, publishers, 1983. Contains

the complete A.S.P. stickfighting method for sport and self-defense.

DEVELOPED in response to the ever-increasing number of attacks in our streets, thissystem of stickfighting is recognized as a uniquely effective method of self-protection,suitable for men or women, young or old. A stick can be carried anywhere, perfectly legally


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and inconspicuously, and offers a devastating means of defense, requiring relatively littlestrength while keeping an attacker at a safe distance. In this book, Dr. Baltazzi presents asimple, comprehensive, and versatile approach to the stickfighting art, offering defensivetechniques scientifically designed for use against a wide variety of attacks. Over 400photographs illustrate practical, step-by-step instructions, making it possible for thebeginner to achieve and maintain proficiency in his own home. Also explained are the

underlying five principles of effective self-defense, plus basic training exercises, trainingthrough the sport of stickfencing, and techniques involving a powerful combination of kicksand stick-blows. Special sections show how to deal with all types of attack, such aspunches, kicks, knife assaults, and handgun holdups. Based on the principles of AmericanSelf-Protection, and on the author's formal experience and skill in the martial arts andWestern fencing, this book provides a novel, systematic approach to self-protectionaccessible to all.Note: The techniques demonstrated in this book should never be taken to excess. Ifproperly executed in training, they should cause no harm to anyone who is physically soundand in good health. The author and publisher accept no responsibility for accident or injury.Dedicated to all my faithful students who, throughout the years, have helped to

achieve recognition for A.S.P.

Evan S. Baltazzi, originator of American Self Protection, received a D. Sc. from theSorbonne, Paris, and a Ph.D. from the University of Oxford. Highly trained in the combativearts, he is a fifth degree Black Belt in judo and has also received extensive training inaikido, fencing, and savate. Dr. Baltazzi has served as chairman of the Illinois Area Judo

Committee and as a member of the U.S. Olympic and National A.A.U. Judo Committees. Awriter and inventor living in Ohio, he has several U.S. patents and original publications tohis credit, including the book Kickboxing: A Safe Sport, A Deadly Defense (Tuttle, 1976


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INTRODUCTION

At the dawn of his existence, man the hunter and man the warrior used sticks, stones,and the bones of dead animals as clubs and projectiles. Then man the toolmaker, withkeen sense of observation, noticing that the tip of a stick was most effective forthrusting, sharpened it into javelins and arrows. However, the stick as such retained itsimportance as a weapon, while also serving as a support and, in some cases, as anemblem of power and status. The use of sticks of various girths and lengths becamemore and more sophisticated and many forms of stickfighting were developed byvarious peoples.

With the advent of firearms, stickfighting fell almost into oblivion. Yet during the lastcentury, when the use of walking sticks was in vogue and the streets of many largecities were dangerous, there was a brief revival of stickfighting for self-defensepurposes. The most notable revival took place in France, where the arts of the canneand the baton became fashionable for a while. The established tradition of fencing inthat country strongly influenced both arts. In England the use of the quarterstaff alsoexperienced some renewed interest. Today, the police and the military of manycountries receive extensive training in the use of the police baton and the longer riotstaff.

Why should a civilian today be concerned about such a seemingly antiquated methodof self-defense as stickfighting? First of all, stickfighting is quite close to its kindredfencing, and similar benefits may be derived from it. But there is another, moreconvincing reason. In today's world, with crime so prevalent, laws on self-defense soconfusing, and the possession of weapons discouraged for the honest and law-abidingcitizen, the use of stickfighting for self-protection is perhaps much more meaningfulthan any of the many popular forms of unarmed combat. Let us assume that a personhas received extensive training in his youth in one of the unarmed Oriental martial arts.

As he grows older, he may begin to wonder how long his punches and kicks will beaccurate and devastating, and his holds unbreakable. How long will he be in a positionto submit to the gruelling training necessary to maintain efficiency?


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While it is true that man, after reaching a peak in his physical condition, slowly declines,he can substantially offset such decline by the method he chooses to use to defendhimself. A well-placed thrust or snap with a stick by an older or weaker person will, inthe majority of cases, have a much more telling effect than a punch or a kick by thesame person. Furthermore, the use of a stick will have the added great advantage of

keeping the opponent at a distance. This can, of course, be very important.

What kind of stick would be most appropriate for self-protection by the average citizen?Naturally, the police baton and the recently more popular nuachaku come first to mind.However, because of its more inconspicuous nature, and the fact that it has not beenoutlawed, I feel that a stick the size of a non-collapsible umbrella or a walking stickwould be best. I do not believe that there are any hard and fast rules in this matter. Thisbook is devoted to techniques using the A.S.P. (American Self Protection) stick, whichmay be handled either with one hand or both, as the situation demands. It is ahardwood dowel which can be obtained at any lumber yard. Standard sizes are 3 feetlong by J to 1 inch in diameter (as shown). Such a stick is light, quite sturdy, and even

a weak person can easily handle it with one hand. Equipped with a rubber tip andassuming adequate protection for the players, it can be used for the sport of A.S.P.stickfencing and/or stickfighting sparring.

Before going any further, let us say a few words about A.S.P. Our first question is: Whywas A.S.P. developed? Briefly, in view of the increasing number of attacks in ourstreets, it was felt that there is a great need for a defensive method accessible to abroad cross-section of the population; a method which would be effective, simple, andcould be mastered with reasonable effort. Another important requirement was that thetechniques learned could be retained for long periods of time, with occasional brush-ups, without losing much of their efficacy. It must be honestly recognized, however, that

the best self protection system in the world, if there is such a thing, cannot be foolproofand cannot perform miracles. It can afford a chance, and only a chance, in the event ofan attack. The more you train, the better are your chances of defending effectively. Abetter system should afford a greater benefit, a better yield, for the time spent intraining. That is all. Any other claims must be viewed as self-serving sales talk.

How does A.S.P. go about reaching its goals? In order to understand the system, onemust first realize that all forms of fighting, whether in attack or defense and whetherone shoots a bazooka or uses one's fists, rest on five principles. These principles areuniversally applicable precisely because they are principles. One common mistake is toconfuse principles with attributes, or in other words, principles of action with qualities

which are necessary for effective fighting (for example, good balance, coordination, fastreflexes, and so on). The five principles of all fighting arts are explained below.

DISTANCE: The ability to accurately judge the distance from which an attack can besuccessfully landed, or evaded, is so important as to be an absolute necessity.Obviously, if you are out of the range of an attack, you do not have to worry about it.On the other hand, if you do not accurately judge the proper distance, you will reachyour opponent or will foil his attacks only by chance.


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DIRECTION: When an opponent attacks in your direction and, after he is committed tohis attack in that direction, if you change your position to dodge his attack, you mayalso be able to find an opening for retaliation. For instance, suppose you are facing anopponent as he attacks you, when the attack is about to arrive, you may evade it bypivoting on your right foot toward your rear left, thus assuming a position parallel to thedirection of the attack. Then, not only will you be safe from it, but you will also be in a

position to retaliate powerfully. Further, if you attack, you should be able to judge fromhis position when your attack will reach him, exactly as if you were shooting at amoving target.

TIMING: No attack or defense can be successful without proper timing. Speed isimportant for timing. (Occasionally, proper timing gives the impression of speed.) Agood sense of distance, direction, and timing is necessary for accuracy andeffectiveness in attack and defense.

MOMENTUM AND LEVERAGE: Both momentum (more accurately, kinetic energy) andleverage serve to develop power, either for delivering a blow or kick, for breaking a

hold, or for throwing an opponent. Gathering momentum in order to swiftly transfer itonto a small area of your opponent's body develops penetrating power and is theprinciple behind the so-called "focused" blows and kicks (see p. 24).

After having decided to approach self-protection from the standpoint of principles,rather than using the piecemeal, individual technique approach, the next important stepin developing A.S.P. was to select from among a great number of possibilities a trulyrepresentative but limited number of attacks. These were selected on the basis thatthey contained the elements of motion (physical education instructors call themkinesiological elements) of a great number of other possible attacks. After the analysisof these factors, defensive techniques were devised which, besides being efficacious,

were themselves composed of a limited number of elements of motion which weresimple and very versatile in the sense that they could be used against a great variety ofattacks. Because of this versatility, with repetitive use such kinesiological elementsbecome conditioned reflexes, which are thus retained much longer by the student. Forthis very reason, the A.S.P. student finds the techniques progressively easier as headvances. Our evidence indicates that the degree of retention of the material learned issuperior to that of any other system.

The elements of these techniques are not novel in themselves and I do not claim tohave invented them. But neither can any one person honestly make such a claim forany fighting art or sport. The real value of A.S.P. as a system resides precisely in the

way these elements have been put together.It took the originator no less than twelve years to complete the groundwork describedabove, and it now becomes clear why, if A.S.P. techniques are taken out of context, themeaning of the system is lost, as are most of the benefits that can be derived from it.This, however, does not imply that A.S.P. in its present form is cast in concrete. Itsimply means that an entirely novel approach to physical training, as appliedparticularly to fighting arts and sports, has been discovered. One can build on thissystem as long as its guidelines and precepts are followed, and like any other livingsystem, it may change as it grows.


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For a person who trains to react according to the five principles, the type of attack he isunder becomes of secondary importance. He soon realizes that the techniques learnedare widely effective (as many A.S.P. students have had the opportunity to test in reallife), that he gets much more out of his efforts than with any other system, and that heretains more of what he learns.

One problem remained to be solved, namely, training the student, safely andrealistically, to instinctively react against sequences of unrehearsed attacks. This isachieved with a certain type of free sparring. It is true that in most cases of real attacks,when the defender foils the initial phase of an attack, he then has the choice of anotherevasive action or of a retaliation. For this reason, and because if the first phase of anattack is successful, the defender may not have another chance, we put a great deal ofemphasis on evasive tactics. There is also the fact that some people do not care toretaliate and are satisfied with evasive action, which in some instances may be enoughto discourage an attacker. In A.S.P. such preventive techniques are known as "before"techniques, in contrast to the "secured" techniques, in which the attack has fullymaterialized.

In undergraduate (below Black Belt level) sparring, one defends against a singleattacker, who desists from his attack once it has been foiled or brought under control;then he attacks anew. In Black Belt sparring, the defender faces two or more attackersin rapid succession, so as to increasingly build up his reflexes and speed. We stronglybelieve in preventive techniques, for these are the most accessible to the greatestnumber of people, particularly weaker people. During the fifteen years of the officialexistence of A.S.P., we have gathered convincing evidence that our training method iscapable of preparing one well for real-life situations with perfect safety.

At this point we have covered all the essential elements of our system per se, with the

exception of the legal aspects of self-protection. While it is true that laws vary fromstate to state and from country to country, it is also true that all are in essentialagreement on one point: a defense must not be much more severe than the attack itaims at foiling. For instance, if I push you, you do not have the right to break my arm orto kick me in the groin. Here again the emphasis on preventive techniques is furtherustified because, in some cases, even though there might be a good reason for, let ussay, gouging the attacker's eyes, as in the course of a potentially lethal attack, manypeople may hesitate to resort to such a severe method, even at the risk of their ownlives. This brings out another point, namely, the necessity for any practically meaningfulsystem to give its practitioners a limited (to avoid confusion) but realistic choice ofpossible retaliations of varying degree of severity. The defender must always use good

udgment and common sense, but while it is very hard to teach or develop either one ofthese, it is at least possible to give the defender a meaningful choice of action. Onemay choose between evasive action alone, or together with mild retaliation to possiblyscare off the attacker; medium retaliation, so as to incapacitate him momentarily; orsevere retaliation, which may even be lethal when called for. We feel that theavailability of these choices to the defender is essential.

Later, some holds using the A.S.P. stick will be described, illustrating its versatility,although they are not essential for effective use of the stick, either in holding an


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opponent at bay or in incapacitating him. By proper application of the five principles, aweak person can impart very considerable power and penetration to his techniques. Itis so much the better if he can punch, kick, or grapple as well.

Neither complicated nor expensive equipment is needed in stick training. Even the helpof a partner, while desirable, is not a necessity. Furthermore, if practiced as described

in this book, self-protection with a stick is an excellent form of physical conditioning.Some physical conditioning exercises are described in Chapter 1, and you will get moreout of training if you use them. No matter how efficient a system is, it cannot performmiracles. The more you train, the better you will be.

Readers interested in more details about the development and philosophy of A.S.P.should refer to the author's previous books,Kickboxing: A Safe Sport, A DeadlyDefense (Rutland, Vermont: Tuttle, 1976) and Basic American Self-Protection(Northfield, Ohio: Evanel Associates, 1972). These books also discusscertain topics only touched upon in the present work. For information about A.S.P.ranking procedures.

1.0 PREPARATION & TRAINING

HOW TO APPROACH PHYSICAL CONDITIONINGThe capacity for, and tolerance to, physical exertion varies from person to person. It istherefore important to approach training in a way which gradually increases thistolerance without undue strain, exhaustion, or persistent muscle soreness. You are notoverdoing it if at the end of each session you are feeling pleasantly tired but notfatigued. Any muscle soreness should not continue beyond the second day. Here a

psychological factor comes into play: the more you overdo it, the easier it is to getdiscouraged. Slow down when necessary, but do not give up. No real ability of any kindcan be achieved without sustained effort. Depending on age and physical condition,you should train two to three times a week. Results are hard to achieve with lesstraining, at least until such time as your reflexes have received a minimal conditioning.Claims to the contrary are not to be taken seriously. Naturally, if you aim to become achampion, you should devote to training as many of your waking hours as you can.

Stamina, related to cardiovascular efficiency, and understood as the ability of the
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organism to utilize oxygen efficiently, is perhaps the most important attribute of physicalfitness. It can be developed very effectively through jogging, which you may do with adual purpose, putting your hands to good use. The sliding hands exercise, employingthe stick, is very useful in this respect (see p. 27). Then, as you jog, you may performalternatively left and right circular spring-slashes (see p. 40).

Finally, you may strengthen your grip as you jog either by using commercially availablegrip spring-tensors, or by squeezing a couple of small rubber balls. In either case, try tomake a conscious effort to use your little finger efficiently when squeezing. A strong,flexible, and sensitive grip is an important requirement for developing and directingpower effectively. The following sports have a beneficial effect on stickfighting: skiing,sprinting, broad jump, high jump, soccer, dancing (for strong legs and a good sense ofrhythm and timing), and last, but not least, training appropriate to kickboxing.

DEVELOPING POWERFUL SLASHES AND THRUSTSIt is a fallacy to believe that the ability to deliver powerful blows, slashes, and thrusts ismeaningful without first developing accuracy, timing, and good balance, not only during

delivery, but also during the recovery that follows. Failure to realize this invariablyresults in lack of mobility and a stilted style. Power is of the utmost importance, but onlyin its proper place. Developing and conditioning the muscles is only part of theirpreparation for actual combat.

As earlier mentioned, power is developed through the use of the principles ofmomentum and leverage. The very use of our bodies implies leverage and it is notnecessary to belabor the point. The use of momentum, however, needs someclarification. Momentum is closely related to speed and mass. Acceleration means thatthe momentum of the attack steadily increases as the blow progresses toward itstarget. The kinetic energy thus developed will be most effective if it is transferred ascompletely as possible to the target at the point of impact. This involves mental as well

as physical concentration. Keep the two following points in mind.

l. The smaller the area of impact, the more destructive the result will be, because it willmean more force per square inch.2. The less dissipation of power (i.e., kinetic energy) through cushioning from the jointsinvolved, the better its transfer to the target, hence the necessity for completely tensingthe attacking limb, as well as the body, at the moment of impact.

Complete exhalation at that moment is helpful because it tightens the large muscles ofthe midsection. The concentration of resources described above is called "focus." Toallow the shock waves generated by the impact to propagate through the target, one

should instantly withdraw the attacking limb on impact. Instant relaxation of themuscles involved helps to achieve this speedy withdrawal. Thus, as long as thevarious parts of the body involved in delivering a blow abide by these principles, suchan attack will be destructive, assuming it is accurate. This explains how boxers,kickboxers, and those who practice karate can deliver very powerful blows. It followsthat any powerful technique must of necessity start with as little tension as possible inthe attacking limb, then develop momentum by smooth coordination of the parts of thebody involved and, finally, culminate in full tension at the point of impact. In summary,then, the smaller the area in which the kinetic energy developed is transferred, the


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more destructive the attack. The more tense the attacking limb at the point of impact,the less give it will have and the more penetrating the attack will be. Of course, trainingin the A.S.P. system is consistent with the foregoing, though we aim at developingbalance, accuracy, and then power, in that order.

WRIST CALISTHENICS

In A.S.P. we have special calisthenics aimed at developing strength, flexibility, andpower in wrist action (a quality most important in stickfighting). In the sport of sabrefencing as well as in stickfencing (not fighting) it is not desirable to use powerful blows,because the purpose is not to hurt the opponent, but to touch him in order to score.Indeed, only poor fencers slash and thrust with force. Besides losing speed of action,fencers using force soon find out that their partners take a rather dim view of such ahabit. In stickfighting, on the contrary, one must develop powerful parries, slashes, andthrusts in order to foil real attacks and incapacitate an opponent. It follows, then, thatwhile a fast action is desirable both in fencing and stickfighting, a strong wrist action isconsiderably more important in the latter. The main topic of this book is stickfighting forself-protection and it will, naturally, receive most attention. However, the sport of

stickfencing can play a very valuable role in training, and so Chapter 5 of this book isdevoted to it. The sport is best approached after the student has become acquaintedwith the fundamentals of stickfighting. On the following page is a selection of wristcalisthenics to help prepare the student for training.

The Prayer. Put your palms against each other in a prayerlike fashion, wrists andelbows at the height of the shoulders. You should feel a stretching of the muscles of thewrist, and initially this may be somewhat uncomfortable. Then, pointing the fingers insuccession, upward, to the front and away from you, downward, and then toward you,stretch then bend your arms in each position. While doing this you will feel thestretching of the muscles of the wrist. Make sure your palms are pressing well against

each other. Repeat the sequence at least ten times.

The Cross. Fold your arms on your chest as follows. Cradle your left hand in your rightarm with the inside of your right elbow between the thumb and index fingers. Thethumb is pointing down and the left wrist bends as you fold the right forearm over theleft, tucking the right hand beneath the left elbow. Apply pressure on the bent left wristby bringing the elbows closer to each other and, when the pressure is at its maximum,lift the right elbow above the left. This action twists the wrist upward on the side of theulna (the forearm bone opposite the thumb). This composite pressure strengthens thewrist and renders it more flexible and less sensitive to pain. Repeat this exercise atleast ten times on each wrist. You may also achieve the same action on each hand by

pressing the back of one hand with the palm of the other in the direction of the wristand twisting it upward and toward you.

The Twist. Bend both wrists fully while standing, arms along the sides, and rotate yourwrists as completely as you can so that they describe two complete circles, the rightwrist rotating in an opposite direction to that of the left. Repeat at least ten times.

The Seal. This exercise involves push-ups on the flexed wrists (palms facing up), whichare gradually rotated in opposite directions after each push-up. A push-up is performed


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in each new position of the wrist, until as full a circle as possible is completed. This is adifficult exercise initially, but perhaps it is the best of all. If your wrists hurt too much,don't insist: stop. Work at it gradually. If regular push-ups are too hard initially, start withpush-ups which leave the hips on the working area.The Stab. Standing up, bend your right wrist completely, fingers pointing down.Shoulders, elbows, and wrists being in one plane, curl the left fingers, knuckles pointing

up, and bring both arms together with force, striking the right wrist against the heel ofthe left palm. Repeat several times, but stop if your wrist hurts too much. Repeatseveral times, switching wrists. This exercise strengthens the wrist against impact.

EXERCISES WITH THE STICKThese exercises aim at familiarizing one with the handling of the stick.

Sliding Hands. Hold the stick diagonally across your chest with both hands, one atchest level, and the other close to the opposite hip. The fingers of each hand are heldtoward you. For example, if the right hand is held close to the right breast, the left handshould be close to the left hip, and the upper tip of the stick near to the right shoulder.Now, slide your hands together, then over and away from each other (Fig. 1).

Pull outward as you slide your hands away from each other, to bring the upper tip nearto the left shoulder. Repeat, increasing the tempo until you are doing it as fast as you

can. Then try to increase the speed even more.

Horizontal Twirl. Grasp the stick at the middle with your right hand, extend the right armat shoulder height in front of you and twirl the stick using the wrist, forearm, and fingersso that its tips describe two parallel and almost horizontal circles. Increase speed asyou become familiar with the exercise and repeat with the left hand.

Vertical Twirl. Grasp the stick near one of its tips with your right hand and point it up bybending the elbow, bringing up the forearm. Then, with a forward motion of the elbow,


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let the far tip of the stick drop behind your right shoulder (Fig. 2). Now swing it in avertical circle parallel to your right side, keeping your elbow bent by the side, andcoordinating the forearm, wrist, and fingers to give a smooth action. The palm of yourright hand faces alternately up and down. Practice with each hand, one after the other,and increase the speed as you become more familiar with the exercise.

Changing Hands Twirl. This exercise can only be properly performed if the length of thestick used is correct. Grasp it at the middle with both hands, palms facing each other.Extend your arms as much as possible. Now twirl the stick in a vertical plane in aconstant circular motion, bringing each tip of the stick up between your arms. Do this by

changing grip in such a way that each palm is alternately facing toward you and awayfrom you (Fig. 3). If done right, the stick will not bump against your arms, body, or face.

HOW TO APPROACH TRAININGThe mental attitude with which training should be approached must combinesportsmanship with detachment. One of the main difficulties in practicing a combativeart usefully is the need to attack realistically, but without hurting one's partner. Unlessan attack is meant, one cannot expect to practice the defensive technique properly.Realistic attacks can be achieved by aiming accurately at the target area, and bycarrying the momentum of the attack through without excess and with a certain degreeof relaxation. If the evasive technique is not successful, the momentum should be

controlled so as to give only a gentle contact. Realism in this context is largelydependent on accuracy and speed, both of which can be achieved without brutality.

There is a great benefit in practicing on both sides, one side immediately after theother. The tempo of the techniques should be slow initially, until their elements havebeen mastered. Then the speed can be gradually increased. The final touches aregiven with the help of free sparring, which is a necessary part of any advanced training.In the context of free sparring, the attacker desists from his attack as soon as it comesunder the control of the defender and its first impact is foiled. Cooperation among the


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participants is essential and training should never become a pretext for a free-for-allfight. Light contact in retaliatory techniques is recommended during training because,besides developing the sense of distance, it teaches the attacker to control his attackand also teaches both partners to accept a degree of punishment.

Controlling techniques such as locks and chokes must be practiced with even more

caution than the other techniques since they can be quite dangerous.All this means that you have to practice conscientiously, and that it is to yourdisadvantage to spread yourself too thinly over a large number of techniques. It ismuch better to concentrate on a few versatile and efficacious ones which you think arewell suited to you and which you fully understand.

2.0 ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES

GRIPSStickfighting employs a variety of grips, and these are described below under their formallabels. Within the technique instructions, it is not always helpful to use just these technicalterms, and description of the exact hand movements and position are sometimes given intheir place. However, these basic grips and hand positions are fundamental to Stickfighting,and the reader should become familiar with them.

Normal Grip. In this grip, the thumb points up or away from the body (Figs. 1, 2).


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Reverse Grip. Here, the thumb points down or away from the body (Figs. 3, 4).

Double Grip. Both hands in this grip are near the same tip. Usually the leading hand is theclosest to the tip. Palms face opposite directions (Fig. 5).

Symmetrical Double Grip. The stick is held with both hands, one near each tip, palms facingin the same direction (Fig. 6).

symmetrical Double Grip. This grip is the same as the one immediately above, but thepalms face opposite directions.

GUARDS


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In A.S.P. stickfighting three guards are used. The first two are starting guards, in which noinkling of aggressive intentions is given, and the third is a continuation guard, for which it isassumed that we have already applied a technique and are preparing to foil a possiblecontinuation of the initial attack.

Middle Grip. In this grip, one hand simply holds the stick at the middle (Fig. 7).

Double Middle Grip. Both hands hold the stick at the middle, palms facing oppositedirections (Fig. 8).

Guard 1. Hold the stick as you would a cane or walking stick, except that your grip is near,not at, the tip. The thumb of the hand holding the stick is pointing down, the back of thehand is facing forward, and the leg on the side of the grip is retracted. Assuming that youare holding the stick with the right hand (i.e., in a right guard), the right foot should bebehind a line formed by the left heel and the right wrist (Fig. 9).


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Guard 2. Stand at ease, feet apart, and hold the stick with both hands, each hand near thecorresponding tip, symmetrically, palms facing toward you (Fig. 10.


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Guard 3. Assuming that you wish to take a left guard 3, step back with the right foot andhold the stick on the right side, parallel to the ground, left hand forward, palm facing eitheraway from you or toward you, right hand near the right thigh, palm facing toward you. Your

left-hand grip should be light and it is used to guide the stick forward during a thrust towarda target by the action of the right hand (Figs. 11, 12).

PARRIES

Parries are used to block or deflect an attack. According to the situation, they can beperformed with one or two hands. In order to avoid confusion, a numbering system hasbeen devised in which it is assumed that the attack is parried by a right-hander and that theright hand is leading, that is to say, it holds the stick at the trailing tip and is mainly


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responsible for developing the necessary power. The left hand may or may not be holdingthe stick as well. When it does, its palm faces forward, or away from the body. However, theorientation of the left hand does not matter much. According to the situation, the feet couldbe on one line, or one in front of the other. Preferably, but not necessarily, the foot on theside of the parry should be behind.

Parries should not only be practiced statically but also in motion, with appropriate footworkas described later (see p. 44). Parries given here are on the "right" side, right hand leading.They are numbered clockwise, as viewed from the person who performs the parry, startingfrom above his head. For left-side parries, reverse the instructions.

Since stickfighting parries are used to block or deflect blows, they must pack enough powerto do the job and, also, when performing them one must be braced to take the power of theblow. Ideally, it then follows that whenever possible (and it must be stressed that underreal-life conditions it will not always be possible) the following conditions must be met.

1. One foot should be behind the other. The forward knee is slightly bent above the toes

and the leg in the rear is stretched for bracing action. The weight of the body should bebetween the feet, and one should feel relaxed and well in balance.

2. Simple physics dictates that for parries, gripping with both hands, with one hand at eachend of the stick, is better than a two-handed grip at one end. However, the former grips arenot always possible. When they are, and after the parry has been performed, the supportinghand must loosen its grip so that the leading hand can slide the stick through and maneuverit as the situation requires.

3. Momentum is necessary for effective parries. It can be achieved by accelerating themotion of the stick as it travels toward its goal. One way this acceleration can be attained in

one-hand parries is by initially resisting with the supporting hand the motion of the leadinghand and then releasing the grip of the supporting hand. This creates a springlike"slingshot" action. Such spring-slash parries can pack a lot of power. In the description ofthe defensive techniques proper, numerous examples of parries are given which will furtherclarify some of the finer points. In general, the wrist must be bent as little as possible so thatthe stick is braced against the incoming blow.


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Parry 1. Protects the head and the shoulders. The stick is held above and slightly in front. ofthe head, angling somewhat with the line of the shoulders. The far tip of the stick is veryslightly higher than the other (Fig. 13).

Parry 2. The stick held in the right hand, this protects the upper right quarter of the body.The stick is pointing up, and is held slightly toward the outside of the right arm so as toprotect it from incoming blows. The right wrist is positioned so as to insure maximumbracing action; in other words, it is not bent and is in the same plane as the right forearm(Fig. 14).


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Parry 3. Protects the lower right quarter of the body. The stick is held slightly past the line ofthe body as in parry 2, but pointing downward (Fig. 15).

Parry 5. Protects the lower left quarter of the body. The stick is pointing down and is held asfollows. The back of the right hand is facing the body and the right thumb is pointingdownward. The stick is held slightly ahead and to the side of the left knee, angling away

from it. By lifting and bending more or less the right elbow one may perform a high parry 5,which protects the upper left quarter of the body (Fig. 17). The great advantage of this parryis that it protects the whole left side of the body without changing the position of the wristand, most importantly, allows a fast retaliation, as we shall see.

Parry 4. Protects the lower body and is a lower version of parry 1. The stick is held slightlyabove and ahead of the forward knee (Fig. 16).


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Parry 6. The same as parry 2, but the stick is held to the left side, the right arm crossing thebody. This protects the upper left quarter (Fig. 18).

A parry may either block or deflect an attack. The difference: between a block and adeflection is, essentially, that in the latter the momentum of the attack is not stopped butonly deflected from its target. Another type of parry is also used in stickffghting, whichoffers the advantage of' developing considerable momentum. 'This is the circular parry.

Simple Circular Parry. This parry is similar to the vertical twirl (see p. 28). It not onlyprotects one whole side of the body, but one of' its variations, the circular spring-slashparry, is used for powerful retaliation.

Circular Spring-Slash Parry. Assume guard 3, shoulders relaxed, stick held horizontally,one hand near each tip, palms facing the body. The left hand is in front of the right so thatthe stick points forward. Lift the right hand and drop the left bringing the stick almost to thevertical and to the right of your right elbow, palms facing the body. The left hand holds thestick between the thumb and the first two fingers. Slash forward using the right hand with an


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appropriate counterclockwise action of the wrist. Use the left hand to initially oppose thatmotion. This creates a "slingshot" action at the free end of the stick (Figs. 19-23).

Double Circular Parry. Twirl the stick so as to follow a figure-eight trajectory. The crossoverpoint is in front of your chest and the loops are made on either side of the body. Keep theleft arm folded so that it does not get in the way (Figs. 24-26).

Overhead Circular Parry. Keep several opponents at bay by twirling the stick above yourhead in a horizontal circle (Figs. 27-29). Retreat at the same time, as explained belowunder Stances and Footwork.


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STANCES AND FOOTWORK

In stickfighting, as in all fighting arts, it is essential to use body positions and ways ofmoving about most appropriate to attack and defense. These must be consistent with therequirements of balance, coordination, accuracy, speed, timing, and power. Mobility isperhaps the most important attribute for attack and defense. Power becomes much more

effective when coupled with mobility; static power is of lesser value in fighting. A goodstance should, then, allow two things: mobility and good balance (stability) in both attackand defense. As long as a stance complies with these two requirements, it is a goodstance. There are literally scores of "good" stances. For this reason, in stickfighting weteach only three basic training stances or guards, with the understanding that each fighterwill develop his own. This is what actually happens in boxing, kickboxing, and karate.Classical guards are taught; but very few people actually fight in a "classical" way. Goodfootwork enables one to move about for attack and defense with the greatest speed,economy of motion, and balance. Below, special emphasis is put on the footwork from leftguard 3.

Advance. Start by moving the rear foot first, so as not to tip off the opponent. The right footis brought up against the left heel, right toes facing to the right. The left foot then slidesforward on the floor and stops at the same distance as for the left guard 3. Nothing elsechanges (Figs. 30-32).

Retreat. In this case the forward foot moves first, because it is the target closest to theopponent and it should be moved away from his reach. Lift the left heel and bring it upagainst the right ankle, sliding the ball of the foot on the floor, toes always pointing at theopponent. Shift your weight to the ball of the left foot, push away and retreat by sliding backthe right foot to the normal guard-3 distance. Nothing else changes (see Figs. 32, 31, 30).

Jumping Advance. Stomp your right heel on the floor against the left and propel yourself,jumping forward. Land on the left foot, always pointing it at the opponent (Figs. 33-35).Adjust the right foot to the normal left guard-3 distance. Nothing else changes.


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Jumping Retreat. Stomp the ball of the left foot near the right heel and push away, jumpingto the rear and landing on your right foot. Adjust the distance of the left foot to the left guard3. Nothing else changes (see Figs. 35, 34, 33).


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About-face. From the left guard 3, about-face without taking a step by pivoting on yourheels to the right, bringing the left hand close to the chest and extending the right arm as fora right guard 3. During this action, switch grip as in the sliding hands exercise (Figs. 36,37). Return to the left guard 3 by reversing the process.

Sidestep (toward the right). Slide the left foot to the right, toes always pointing toward youropponent, about the same distance as the width of your shoulders (Fig. 38). Adjust the rightfoot as for left guard 3. For a sidestep toward the left, slide the left foot to the left and adjustthe right as before.Pivot. Turn to the left by pivoting on the right heel. The left foot slides on the floor describingan arc at normal left guard-3 distance. Reverse instructions to pivot to the right.

Cross-step. This is a form of advance used in special situations. Cross the right foot behindthe left. The ball of the right foot is resting on the floor, toes pointing toward the left side of


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the left heel. Both knees are slightly bent (Fig. 39). Revert to left guard 3 by sliding the leftfoot forward and straightening up your legs.

Adjusting Distance. When you are so close to the opponent that a distance adjustment ofless than one full step is required, slide the left foot forward and attack immediately. Afterthe attack, the right foot may return to the left guard 3, or may be set forward for a right

guard 3. Such an advance with a change of stance from left to right may be necessary inorder to follow a retreating opponent.

Jumping Foot-Switch. This is used for delivering certain kicks used in stickfighting. Althoughspectacular kicks are involved in some forms of footfighting, stickfighting mainly involvestechniques performed with the feet kept as close to the floor as possible. Indeed, jumpinghigh in order to deliver a kick places the attacker in a vulnerable position, particularly if he iscaught off balance while landing. The very purpose of jumping is to gain distance toward oraway from the opponent. This can be achieved with proper footwork, which minimizes thedanger of being caught off balance.

Here is a very useful technique. From left guard 3, take a big step with the right foot and setit ahead of the left, its ball is in contact with the floor, toes pointing well inside toward the leftfoot (Fig. 40). This is very important because it lines up the right hip with the target you areabout to attack with your right foot. Should you not be in the proper position, your attack willbe off the target and you will need a special effort to readjust it. In the process of taking thatstep, bring your right arm in a wide rounded motion, slightly bent at the elbow, in line withyour right side so that it provides it with some protection. Hop and switch feet so that the left

foot is now where the right was, while the right is positioned at the ready for a kick (Fig. 41),usually, a side-of-foot kick (see p. 64). After delivering the kick, the right foot comes to restbehind the left, returning to guard 3.

Training in footwork is absolutely essential for proficiency. One can never train enough inthis area. The ability to evade attacks and to counterattack powerfully and in full balancedepends on fast and accurate footwork. Even proper judgment of distance and the ability tocreate an opening are of little benefit without fast foot movements, which enable one to takeadvantage of the opportunity. Good footwork enables you to advance without tipping off


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your opponent, to retreat without losing the ability to counter, and to maintain the initiative atall times.

DODGING AND ITS ADVANTAGES OVER PARRYING

Dodging consists in avoiding attacks by shifting the whole or part of the body with or without

footwork and with or without changing the guard.Dodges usually allow for powerful retaliations and make it easier to break through theopponent's defenses. They offer a great advantage over parries in that they allow moredegrees of freedom for retaliation. Furthermore, since an important aspect of self-protectionentails getting out of the way or out of the reach of an attack, particular emphasis is placedon dodging techniques. All dodges induce the attacker to commit himself to a course ofaction, so that it is not easy for him to change it. In dodging, rarely should the body move asa block; only the menaced part of the body moves away first from the line of attack so as tolead the attacker to commit himself. Only then does the body shift as necessary to completethe dodging technique. The following dodging techniques are described from guard 2.


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Jumping Dodge. The jumping dodge, which like all our techniques must be practiced onboth sides, is an extremely versatile self-protective technique essentially applicable to allstanding attacks. It is used when an opponent rushes toward you for any kind of reaching orstriking attack. A right-side jumping dodge is performed as follows. From guard 2, withdrawthe right foot and raise the tip of the stick held in your right hand until it is level with youropponent's eyes (Figs. 42, 43). With the right arm almost completely extended, shift your

weight onto the right (rear) foot and lift the left knee so that it is well bent with the thighalmost parallel to the floor. While keeping the right arm extended and the left knee high,

jump back and around (counterclockwise) toward the rear left to a position at right angles tothe direction of the attack. The left knee swings out and around like a flywheel to help in thischange of direction (Figs. 44, 45). Now set the left foot behind the right and, withoutstopping the momentum you have gathered, slide back two steps.

Your opponent was attacking you from a given direction and, after he had committedhimself to that direction, you changed your position to another at right angles to the firstone. Now, as he attempts to redirect his attack to your new position, he will be wide open toretaliation for a brief moment. It is important that you react at the last possible moment,

when the attack is almost there. Keeping calm and relaxed is very important. After you havefinished your jump, do not stop your momentum but let it carry you back at least two slidingsteps. Deliver a circular spring-slash, not as a parry but as a retaliation. Parry 2 is oftenused in this way as a means of retaliation. It takes some practice to master the jumpingdodge, but it is well worth the effort. Make sure that the left knee is pulled up high, so that itcan act effectively in adding momentum to your swing, otherwise your directional changewill be sluggish and your balance easily upset.


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Dropping Dodge. This dodge allows you to get behind an opponent. It is particularly usefulagainst striking attacks and I will here describe its use in a specific example. Naturally, itcan be used in other cases. Remember, you are in guard 2. If an opponent swings at youwith his left, move your head back, away from the attack, lifting both hands so that the stickdeflects it from below. Then thrust the stick, right hand foremost, to complete the deflectionof the attack (Fig. 46). This is a symmetrical double-grip parry, similar to parry 3. Now jumplithely on the right foot and land near the outside of the opponent's left foot. Drop low,bending your right knee, almost touching the ground, and momentarily support yourself withthe right tip of the stick (Fig. 47). Step through, placing your left foot past this tip, then,pivoting to the right, gather momentum and deliver a slash, leading with the right hand, toyour opponent's lower ribs or knee (Figs. 48, 49). In order to train meaningfully in thisdodge, your partner must really mean his attack and carry through his momentum. Goodtiming is always important and in this technique it is particularly so. Without it yourtechnique will be sloppy. Smooth motions will help both partners practice meaningfully and

will develop their sense of timing.

THRUSTS AND SLASHES

A thrust is a blow delivered with the tip of the stick in the direction of the long axis. A slashis a blow delivered with the side of the stick. They can both be single- or double-handed. Athrust with a stick can be very punishing, particularly if the grip is strong and the thrust hasthe body behind it. Besides penetration and reach, accuracy is an important factor. Many ofthe attributes of a good stick thrust are to be found in a sword thrust, as in fencing. Fencinghas a long and distinguished record of technical achievement and mastery of body motion.The closest to stickfighting would be sabre fencing, and they have many key points in

common.

Let us see how good fencers perform and direct their thrusts. Admittedly, power is not oneof their concerns. They are mostly interested in speed and accuracy. It must be pointed out,however, that even though power is not important for fencers, the fact that they use flexibleweapons which bend on impact shows their thrusts to be very powerful. They also usestrong protective vests, yet even so, there have been several unfortunate accidents inwhich people have been impaled on broken weapons. Stickfighters can learn much fromthe teachings of fencing, particularly sabre fencing. One of the major differences lies in the


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fact that the footwork in stickfighting differs from that of fencing, mainly because fencing ispracticed linearly and stickfighting is not.

One-Hand Thrust. In order to pack power, a thrust must have the body behind it. Naturally,power will not mean much unless the thrust is also accurate and timely. A simple thrust willusually meet these conditions when delivered with a lunge similar to the one used infencing.From guard 2, slide your right foot ahead of the left by a full step, pivoting on your left heel,

just a split second after fully extending your right arm toward the target in a smooth andcontinuous fashion (Fig. 50). Hold the stick with a lot of pressure exerted by the little fingerand with reduced tension in the order of the succeeding fingers, so that the thumb and the

index finger serve mainly to guide the stick. This will prevent undue locking of the elbowand tightening of the shoulder. Immediately line up the stick with the target, turning yourright palm up as you propel your body forward by advancing the right foot and straighteningthe left leg. Your left foot must be flat on the floor. As you are nearing full extension of thebody, also extend your right arm fully to impart more penetration to the thrust. Keep yourupper body as erect as possible (Fig. 51). Depending on whether you wish to follow youropponent or stand your ground, you may recover either by pulling forward the left foot, or bypulling back the right.


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Two-Hand Thrust. From guard 2, step forward with the left foot, after pointing at the targetand changing your left grip so that the palm is facing up. Thrust with the right arm, lettingthe stick glide through your left palm. The footwork is the same as for the previous thrust. Inboth, the forward motion should be initiated at the hips, which must participate throughoutthe technique (Figs. 52-54). For a two-hand thrust made with an additional step, the rightfoot is brought forward, followed by the left, to complete the thrust as above (Fig. 55).


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Slashes. Slashes are most penetrating when they are accompanied by a whiplike action ofthe wrist. In order to achieve this, the wrist must go through stages of relaxation and tensionfollowed by relaxation. Tension is very brief, lasting only just before and at the time of theimpact (Figs. 56, 57).

One-hand slashes are more accurate if the stick is braced by the thumb, which points in thedirection of the target. The three last fingers are held relaxed during the preparation of theslash and tensed upon impact, thus accentuating the action of the wrist. This techniquebecomes a whip-slash.The most penetrating slashes also involve participation of the body, particularly the hips. Anexample of a spring-slash has already been given in connection with the circularspringslash parry (see Figs. 19-23, pp. 40, 41).

Numerous examples of thrusts and slashes will be given in relation to self-protectivetechniques in Part Two.

FEINTS

Any motion of the stick or of any part of the body which will lead the opponent to believethat he is about to be attacked in a certain way is called a feint. The opponent is deceivedinto anticipating a supposed attack and thereby commits himself to a course of action whichyou may turn to your advantage. The most common mistake while feinting is reacting toosoon and not waiting long enough for the opponent to take the bait.

THE CONCEPT OF PARRY-RIPOSTE


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Let us assume that the opponent has attacked with simple or multiple attacks which youhave succeeded in parrying. Naturally, he would want to recover after his last motion. At thevery moment of recovery, he becomes vulnerable to a riposte or counterattack. This isparticularly true when you launch an attack along a line in which it is difficult for him to

protect himself, alternating slashes with thrusts. For instance, your opponent is attackingthe upper left quarter of your body and you are using parry 6; an effective riposte would bea slash to his right temple followed by a thrust to his solar plexus and a slash to the outsideof his left knee (Figs. 58, 59). A parry 5 may be followed by a slash to the right or the lefttemple, a thrust to the lower abdomen, and a slash to the right collarbone. There is a greatnumber of possible combinations; however, in keeping with our philosophy, we shall confineourselves to very few, which because of their versatility are applicable to a great manysituations and which, by repetition, will become part of our conditioned reflexes.Several examples of parry-riposte will be given in the techniques in Part Two.

3.0 KICKING AND STICKFIGHTING

The combination of kicking with stickfighting techniques is very effective. Since kickboxingis largely outside the scope of this book, only a few kicks will be described, mostly from apractical standpoint and for the sake of completeness. One may ask: If kickboxing is sogood, what do you need the stick for? The other side of this question is: If stickfighting is soeffective, what do you need kicking for? The answers to both questions are to be found inthe Introduction of the present work. It is important to make the self-protective artsaccessible to as many people as possible; weaker people who cannot develop penetratingpunches and destructive kicks need the ability to use such an inconspicuous-lookingweapon as a stick to complement their kicks and punches. The reader will find ampleevidence in this book of how well the use of kicks complements and blends in with theeffective use of a stick.

BASIC KICKS

Mastering kicking techniques requires excellent balance, a good sense of distance and ofthe direction in which your target is moving, a good sense of timing, and above all, speed.While it is true that kicks are the most powerful blows you can deliver without a weapon, it isalso true that the feet are in general considerably slower than the hands. Furthermore,standing on one foot while delivering a kick makes for rather precarious balance. It is quite


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clear then that you must deliver a kick with the utmost speed so as to remove yourself fromthis vulnerable position as soon as possible. Another reason for delivering a fast kick andwithdrawing the attacking leg even faster is to avoid getting your leg caught.

We will study seven basic kicks, the mastery of which can be achieved with moderatepractice and will give you much confidence. Knowledge of these kicks is amply sufficient for

effective stickfighting. When kicking, the heel and the sole must be in firm contact with thefloor or ground. Try as much as possible to keep the body close to the vertical. With fewexceptions, as in the case of the low direct kick in which you are reaching for distance,leaning too far tends to impair your balance as well as the power of your kicks.

In order to develop powerful kicks you must first learn to kick in full balance. Kicks practicedin slow motion are excellent for developing balance control. As your balance improves,increase speed accordingly. When you can kick very fast in full balance, your next goalshould be to shoot for accuracy, first at stationary, then at moving targets. Finally, strive forpower with penetration by impact concentration on the target and rapid withdrawal of theattacking leg.

Practice all techniques completely and fully; do not cut corners under the pretext of speed.Do not underestimate the importance of your mental attitude; it is by far the most importantattribute of success. Practice consistently in a relaxed way, with tenacity but without anyanxiety. Whether you feel you are progressing or not, keep at it doggedly; results will surelyfollow.

All the following kicks are described from left guard 3.

Low Direct Kick. The preferred kicking foot is the rear one, and the specific target it is aimedat is the shinbone, which is easy to reach and offers a relatively large, vulnerable area. Itmay be attacked either straight forward or, preferably, slightly on the inside. The front oreither front sides of the foot may be used to kick. Thrust the rear right foot in the directionof the opponent's lower shinbone. As in all attacks, follow the general rule of aiming


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somewhat beyond the target and letting it come in the way. The low direct kick is deliveredwith a sweeping motion of the leg and a snap of the knee, which remains relatively relaxed.Toes are turned up at the moment of impact. The sweeping motion of the attacking legstarts from the hips with a slight twisting action so as to squarely face the target. Thesupporting leg is slightly bent, foot firmly anchored on the floor. At delivery, the body shouldbe straight from head to ankle. In this case we are deviating from the vertical because of

our attempt to reach a low target and also because we want to put our face out of theopponent's reach. Since the body faces the opponent squarely and, therefore, is rathervulnerable, we keep the arms in front of the chest, ready to parry an attack to the upper orlower part of the body. When holding a stick, we assume guard 2 with a symmetrical orasymmetrical double grip (Fig. 1).

Key Points. Keep the body out of the reach of your opponent's arms. Do not lift yourshoulders. Deliver your kick with a full extension of the leg, muscles fully tensed as the footreaches its target. Return quickly to the starting position by relaxing the leg after deliveryand reversing the sequence.

High Direct Kick. The initial position is similar to that of the low direct kick. Bend your right(rear) knee fully and raise it as high as you can. The closer to the body you bring theattacking right leg, the faster and more powerful the kick. Slightly bend the knee of the

supporting left leg, keeping muscles tensed and the sole in firm contact with the floor.Deliver a kick with a snap of the lower part of the leg, keeping the toes turned up. Returnquickly to the initial position by first bending back the kicking leg, then lowering it so as notto disturb your balance (Fig. 2).

Key Points. Raise your kicking leg as high as possible. Its knee must be fully bent, the shinalmost vertical, and the ball of the foot pulled back as much as possible. Keep the knee andlower part of the attacking leg relatively relaxed and line up the knee and toes with thetarget. Deliver a kick with full extension of the leg, muscles tensing completely upon impact.


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Return quickly to the starting position by relaxing the leg after delivery and reversing thesequence. Upon returning to the starting position, make sure to first bend the knee beforelowering the kicking leg.

Note: Both the low and the high direct kicks may be delivered with the forward foot byshifting the weight to the rear foot and following the same directions. It is preferable,

however, to deliver these kicks with the rear foot because one can pack more power in thisway.

Side-of-Foot Kick. Twist your hips to the left and pivot on the ball of your left foot through aquarter turn so that its toes point squarely to the left. Leaving the right foot in its initialposition, toes pointing ahead, heel off the floor, bring your right forearm in front of yourgroin. Your left arm is bent and the stick is vertical; the nails of the left hand are facingtoward you, thumb pointing out. Keep the elbows close to the body and look through themiddle of your opponent's chest from over your right shoulder. Your right fist, holding the


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stick, protects your groin. This is known as the gunsight position (Fig. 3). Lift the right thighto a nearly horizontal position, bending the knee fully and bringing the sole of the cuppedright foot close to the left knee. This is the ready position, in which the plane of the attacking(right) knee is at right angles to the plane of the hips, and the edge of the right foot is almostparallel to the floor (Fig. 4). Kick with a swift pumping action, making contact with the edgeof the foot near the heel. The back views show the consecutive motions of the kick (Figs. 3-

5).During the kick the stick is held perpendicular to the ground, as previously explained.Return fast to the starting position by exactly reversing the instructions, taking care to bringthe kicking leg back before lowering it. Follow this leg retraction technique as a general ruleto minimize the chances of your leg being caught.

Key Points. Twist hips to the left so as to align the hip corresponding to the attacking rightleg with the target. Besides being important for the development of supple hips, this isnecessary for accuracy. Initiate all kicks from the hips, pushing them out. Pull them back asyou are retracting the kicking leg. I have already mentioned the desirability of keeping thebody close to the vertical; if at all, lean in the direction of the kick. The supporting leg must

be slightly flexed in order to cushion the impact. (One exception is the circular kick; see p.67.) The sole of the supporting foot must be in full contact with the floor for maximumbalance. The knee and lower part of the attacking leg must be relatively relaxed for a swiftand light start. Tense the leg, foot, and ankle upon impact, then pull back as swiftly as youcan while relaxing the lower leg. Practice all kicks with particular care against stationary andmoving targets, since judging the distance correctly and timing the impact with the fullextension of the leg is important for maximum penetration and power.Note: The side-of-foot kick, as well as the following kicks, may equally be delivered with theleft foot. Pivot a quarter turn to the right, so that both feet point to the right and the left hip islined up with the target. Kick with the left foot in exactly the same way as described for theright. After delivering the kick, quickly return to the starting position, guard 3.

Instep Kick. This kick is delivered with the instep in a whiplike upward motion, the foot incomplete extension. It is specifically used for attacks to the lower abdomen and groin.Generally speaking, it will cause less damage than the other kicks because it is deliveredwith a relatively large area of the foot. The instep kick may be delivered from almost any


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position, either with the rear or the forward foot. In self-protective situations, it may be usedeither as a warning of further action, or as a way of creating an opening for a more powerfulattack in a less sensitive area. Since the instep kick must be delivered particularly fast, it iswell suited for catching an opponent off guard in the preparation of his attack. It is perhapsthe most versatile kick with the widest applicability. For this reason it is recommended thatyou study it with great care. Get into the gunsight position as described for the side-of-foot

kick and line up the right hip with the target. Lift the right knee as high as you can, the shinat approximately 45 degrees to the thigh of the supporting left leg. The attacking right foot isbent at the ankle, toes in full extension, pointing down to the oblique left, and close to thesupporting leg at the level of the knee. Deliver a kick with the instep in a snappy, upwardmotion. Return fast to the left guard 3, taking care to retract your leg before lowering it.Hands and stick are positioned as in the side-of-foot kick (Figs. 6, 7).

Key Points. Same as for the side-of-foot kick. Also, at the ready position, prior to deliveringthe kick, the body and attacking leg must be in one plane, knee pointing toward the target.Keep the knee of the attacking leg relaxed, but tense the foot, concentrating all your poweron the instep at the moment of impact. Push the hips in the direction of the kick.

Circular Kick. From the left guard 3, get into the gunsight position as before. Raise the rightknee, fully bent, so that the leg is in a plane almost parallel to the floor, the heel close to theleft buttock. Curl up the toes and deliver the kick with a smooth circular motion, your handsand stick positioned as in the side-of-foot kick (Figs. 8, 9).

Key Points. Same as for the side-of-foot kick. Also, do not overshoot the kick much beyondthe plane of your body, or else you will lose balance. Take particular care to push the hips

out. The supporting left leg must be in full extension at the ready position, unlike in the kicksdescribed earlier. Stretch and keep your body close to the vertical, right foot firmly plantedon the floor.

Key Points. Line up the target and use the same technique as for the right forward roll. Youshould take care not to land on the tip of the right shoulder. Practice the timing for thrustingyour kick, because it is very important. Be ready to follow through with other attacks. Youmay practice this kick aiming at the extended and open hand of a partner. This will help you


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to develop a good sense of distance and timing for the initiation of the kick.

Heel Spear. This is a kick to the rear using the heel as the the striking area. From the leftguard 3, drop the right hand holding the stick in front of the groin, bring the left hand in frontof the chest and turn your head to look in the direction of the target (to the right) over yourright shoulder. Raise the right knee to the chest and bend the right ankle upward. Lining up

the right hip and shoulder with the target, thrust the heel sharply in that direction. This kickutilizes the backward swing of the thigh and the snap of the knee. Withdraw the right legfast, and pivoting to the right on the left foot, now assume a left guard 3, facing youropponent.

Key Points. The supporting left foot must be flat on the floor, in line with the thrust. Thesupporting knee is slightly more bent than in the high direct kick. Here, the body bendsaway from the target.

Rolling Kick. This kick is very effective in self-protection and should be studied with greatcare. One of the best opportunities for delivering this kick is after a jumping dodge, when

your attacker is pivoting to face you after you have changed position. Remember that yournewly assumed position is at right angles to the direction of his initial attack. At this point,for a brief moment, he is open to the rolling kick. From the left guard 3, take a forward stepwith the right foot, toes facing slightly to the left (inward) and let your body, led by a circularmotion of the right arm, be carried into a right forward roll (see p. 76). Your right fist pointstoward the oblique left and, as you roll on your back from the right shoulder to the left hip,you kick with your right leg, initiating the kick shortly after the leg has passed the vertical.The rolling kick is delivered with the bottom of the heel in a sharp, thrusting motion and isdirected at the opponent's lower abdomen. Stand up, taking a guard and, if close enough tothe opponent, pursue your attack with slashes and thrusts. With practice you might even beable to deliver a double kick.

KICKING IN MOTION

Be relaxed while moving. Drain the tension from your shoulders and let your weight "settle"in the lower abdomen. Feel as if it were concentrated in one point and imagine it as yourcenter of gravity. This will help you to remain relaxed. Your feet should glide lightly andswiftly on the floor, but do not sacrifice accuracy for speed. Increase speed only as yourability to perform improves. Look straight ahead as if through the upper chest of animaginary opponent. Calmly concentrate on the technique you are performing. You canachieve this by a process of eliminating anything in your mind that does not pertain to thetechnique at hand. Concentration is the attribute of champions.

Use minimal tension at the ready position and full tension at the real (or, in training,imaginary) point of impact. Then release tension at once and withdraw the attacking legfast, without lowering it too soon. Gradually blend one or more steps with one kick, thenwith different kicks. Stop briefly from time to time to check on the accuracy of yourtechnique, or you will develop bad habits. You will know that you are on the right track whenyour technique combinations fit into each other smoothly, making a flowing, homogeneouswhole. Try several combinations and you will discover the ones best suited to you.Footwork is of prime importance and you can never practice it enough.


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Flying Kicks. These spectacular kicks are not recommended because they are hard tocontrol and because of the vulnerability of the person who uses them should he miss.Furthermore, they are not essential for effective self-protection. Be particularly careful toavoid using them against an opponent who has a stick and knows how to use it.

ADDITIONAL TECHNIQUES

Kneeing and elbowing are both useful in self-protection. In all cases, of course, the stickmust be out of the way, either in a guard position, or held in the ready for a thrust or slash.

Direct Kneeing. Strike up and forward by bending the knee sharply. Let the target come inthe way. Take the same position as for a high direct kick.

THE CRISS-CROSS: Example: a slash to the right temple, a slash to the left ribs, and thento the right knee.

THE ENTICEMENT: Drop the stick from guard 2 to guard 1. As your opponent throws aright punch to the face, being enticed to do so because you dropped your guard, yousidestep to the left, deflecting his attack with a parry 2, and counter with a left instep kick tothe lower abdomen.

GUIDELINES FOR SELF-PROTECTION

Circular Kneeing. Prepare as for a circular kick. Then, rather than thrusting the foot towardthe target, swing the knee in a wide circular motion leading with the hips.

Key Points. Bend the knee fully and tense the ankle, toes in extension. Because of the

proximity of the opponent, either be prepared to parry a possible attack or, better still, breakhis balance before you get in a position for kneeing. Elbowing is used at close quarters, butrarely in stickfighting. It is usually preferable to use the tip of the stick rather than the elbow.However, should the opportunity present itself, a blow with the elbow is always deliveredeither in a plane parallel to the body or at right angles to it, the plane being formed by thewrist, forearm, elbow, and shoulder. The impact of the elbow is timed with a twist of thewrist so as to increase the penetrating power of the blow.

Self-defense is usually visualized as an aggregate of techniques developed to deal withvarious types of attacks. There is a general tendency to slant such techniques toward aspecific type of approach. For instance, there is a judo self defense, a karate self-defense,

an aikido self-defense, etc. I completely disagree with such a piecemeal approach. Anyefficient, systematic study of self-protection must be based on two things: first, trainingaimed at the instinctive application of the five principles, so that the specific type of anattack becomes of lesser importance; and second, an integral "nonsectarian" approach,which is quite possible, even if the techniques are centered around the use of a stick. Inother words, I believe in using the most appropriate technique for a given situation, be it akick, a throw, a blow, a choke, or joint twisting, preferably with the stick but, if need be,without it. In self-protection you should abide by the following important guidelines.


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TACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

In order to win, you must either find or create an opening. You can do so either by initiatingan attack, or by inducing your opponent to attack in a direction which, with yourpredetermined tactics, you can turn to your advantage.

The following examples of tactical schemes, applicable to both kickboxing and stickfighting,will help you.

THE CROSS: Attack a low target and use your opponent's reaction to attack a diametricallyopposed, high target. Example: a low direct kick followed by a slash to the temple.

THE TRIANGLE: Make an attack to the low right, the low left, and then make one highattack (or vice versa). Example: a slash directed to the opponent's left knee, a slashdirected to the right knee, then a thrust to the solar plexus.

l. Never fight unless you absolutely have to. Avoid people who might lead you into fights.

2. If you must fight, fight to win. Move in to attack swiftly and decisively. Break the fight assoon as your opponent shows no further desire to attack.

3. In self-protection, anything beyond a parry is at the defender's option. He must at alltimes use his judgment to adjust the severity of his retaliation to the potential severity of afurther attack. The retaliations in this book have been selected with the A.S.P. philosophy inmind. It is not recommended or implied that they should be used indiscriminately. While Iwould like to provide the student with very effective and complete techniques, I do not wantto suggest that he should abdicate good judgment.

4. The best means of self-protection is one which discour-ages a potential opponent from attacking. A calm and fearless attitude is invaluable to thiseffect.

5. As soon as you judge that your opponent's attitude becomes too aggressive and he isabout to attack, attack first if you can to stop him in his tracks. Try to keep him at a distanceusing your stick, your feet, or both.

6. The most effective self-protective sequence is as follows.(a) Make a feint or strike to stop the attacker in his tracks and create a diversion

(b) Then thwart his attack and/or bring him under control(c) Retaliate if necessary

There is no need for acrobatic kicks. While the above sequence is not always repeated inconnection with the techniques described, keep in mind that it is always applicable. Ratherthan constant repetition for each technique, it is easier to remember that, depending on thedistance, the most useful kicks areLow direct kick to the shinbone Side-of-foot kick to the kneeInstep kick or a high direct kick to the inside of the thighs or the groin, depending on the


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severity of the attackCondition yourself for a conflict by visualizing the situation using these techniques, inaddition to using them in training (with all necessary caution). The other kicks described inthis volume are very useful in training and can most certainly be used in self-protection. Forstickfighting, however, they are not essential.

As earlier stated, kicks, slashes, and thrusts blend well, and it is advantageous to combine

them as you find necessary. You must remember that, while the stick techniques aredescribed in detail, all possible combinations with kicks are not given for the sake of brevity.In short, because a kick is not described with a given stickfighting technique, it does notmean that it cannot be used.

7. Beginners usually think that the retaliation part of a technique is the most important.Actually, dodging or foiling an attack by appropriate body positioning and shifting inaccordance with the five principles comes first. Unless you understand this, you will not understand A.S.P. Speed is most important in this respect, and thisis also why conditioned reflexes are given so much emphasis in this system.

8. The large, unprotected, and rather soft abdominal muscles and those of the area of thefloating ribs are very vulnerable to blows, particularly during inhalation, when these musclesare relatively relaxed and the lungs are filling with air. Conversely, exhaling sharply whenreceiving a blow gives you some protection because it tenses these muscles and bracesthem against the impact. It is also helpful when delivering a blow, because it firms up thelarge muscles of the trunk and abdomen and helps in the effective transmission of thepower of the trunk to the opponent, either through one's own body or the stick.

9. There are several vulnerable parts in the human body. In order to learn how to attackthem, one has to develop great accuracy and know-how in the mode of attack. For theaverage person, such effort is futile and unnecessary for self-protection. Therefore, we will

confine ourselves to large, easily accessible, vulnerable areas. I said earlier that retaliationis secondary to body shifting and positioning. In keeping with this emphasis, 1 will describemeans to retaliate only as related to specific techniques.

10. Variations of techniques have been kept to a minimum in order to avoid confusion. Youwill have no difficulty in devising your own with the elements learned.

11. Confidence and skill go hand in hand. Practice is essential for developing any skill;however, it should be consistent with the proper understanding and application of theprinciples involved. Then it results in the instinctively correct application of appropriatetechniques.

Important Note: All techniques described must be considered potentially dangerous andmust be practiced with caution.Some readers may find difficulty in understanding how the severity of the defense can becorrectly proportioned to the potential severity of an attack, particularly regarding defensiveblows delivered with a stick. Keep the following in mind.

1. The impact of the retaliation can be controlled all the way, from a feint to a focused blow.In order to avoid being repetitious, the reader is not reminded of this each time a technique


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is described.

2. Retaliation is not always mandatory. All or part of a technique, or none at all, may beused; and any technique can be employed at different levels of severity. You have,therefore, a great latitude of choice. Possible complete techniques are described in thisbook, and the reader should apply them using good judgment and discretion.

Some defensive techniques may appear to be repetitive. This is because of the goal ofdeveloping conditioned reflexes with minimal effort. In this system, a few versatile elementsof motion are used. Complexity is never tantamount to efficacy and almost always results inpoor yields.

THE ART OF FALLING

If you want to get someone really mad at you, endanger his balance. Our balance is veryimportant to us, physically as well as psychologically. Being sure of our balance andunafraid of losing it, because we know how to handle such an eventuality, has a verypositive effect on our self-confidence. Knowing how to fall is not necessary in order to learn

the stickfighting techniques in this book, but we believe that it should be an integral part ofall fighting arts and sports, not only because of the element of safety it adds to theirpractice, but also because of the great psychological benefits derived from it.

The A.S.P. system is so structured that you do not have to spend too much time working onpreliminaries. You can start learning the stickfighting techniques immediately, and whileprogressing in stickfighting proper, so sustaining your interest, there will be ample time foryou to gradually learn how to fall safely. Rest assured that if you practice within this system,you will soon become familiar with the five principles and will quickly develop conditionedreflexes in accordance with their guidelines. Like all other techniques explained in thisbook, breakfalls are described on one side only. In practice, they must be studied on both

sides. Becoming ambidextrous is very desirable, if not essential.

ROLLING FALLS

These are the most important of all falls and must be studied very carefully. Pay specialattention to the forward rolls, which may be used for defense as well as for attack. Allbreakfalls are described from guard 2, holding the stick throughout the roll.Forward Rolls. Stand relaxed, feet spread shoulder-wide, and take a forward step with yourright foot, this step being somewhat longer than a normal step. Now pivot on the balls ofyour feet so that your toes point slightly inward, toward each other. Lift your arms straightabove your head, relaxing your wrists and letting the stick point forward and downward. Fix

your head in a forward-bent position, chin on chest, looking between your legs, withouttensing up the muscles of your neck. Continuing to hold this position will protect your headthroughout the roll. In a reaching motion, again without tensing up, propel your bodyforward with the left foot, using the ball of your right foot mainly for support. Failure to followthese instructions carefully will make you roll sideways and perhaps even hurt yourself. Ifyou follow them, not only will you be able to roll safely on a mat, but also on uneven hardground.


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At the roll ready-position, your arms form a circle, and as you propel yourself forward, yourbody rolls diagonally from back of right shoulder to left hip. It is helpful to turn the toes of theleading (right) foot slightly inward. During the roll, use the left leg to increase yourmomentum. Extend it as it passes from the vertical, then fold it behind the right so that uponlanding the leading right foot is still forward. Get up using your forward momentum.

Positioning the feet properly is essential for easy recovery. Practice slowly at first, thenincrease your speed. As you become more familiar with this roll, do not stop after one, buttake several in succession (Figs. 1-3).


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Back Rolls. Start the same way as for a forward roll. Take one step back with the left foot,squat, and roll as if you were trying to throw both hands over your right shoulder, and keepyour head positioned as described for the forward roll. Place your left instep on the mat tosupport your body as you roll diagonally from left hip to right shoulder. When you get up,your right foot is forward. Practice several rolls in succession (Figs. 4-6).

FLAT BREAKFALLS

These falls must be studied on a mat. In some cases it is necessary to drop the stick toavoid injury, but you should always try to drop the stick within easy access.

Forward Breakfall. Start your training as follows. Kneel on the mat, toes curled up in contactwith mat. Relax and drop your shoulders. Swing your arms together up an

Documents

Stickfighting - A Practical Guide for Self-Protection