An important attribute for a fighter is the ability to improvise. A way to improve this ability is imaging an attack when we are in our daily routines. Imaging an attack when you’re watching TV, brushing your teeth, having lunch or any other situation and respond to that attack. If the place is not the right one for a physical response (your work for example), respond to the attack in your mind.
In the dojo visualize an opponent attacking you in a variety of ways and counter every attack. To add to the realism visualize some of the attacker strikes hitting you and react to that situation. Do this in set of 3, 5 minutes or any amount of time you want..
If you train with Kata, do the kata in a place where the space is limited. That will force you to improvise some moves of the kata. Put a chair or another kind of barrier in your to force you work around the barrier. If you find yourself facing the wall just turn 180 degrees to continue the kata. Keep moving do not stop to think. You have to be spontaneous in your answers to the challenge ahead of you.
The circle exercise is very good for building improvisation’s skills. Organize your students in a circle. Take turns to take the center position in the circle. The student in the middle will closes his eyes while you choose secretly which student will attack, and what kind of attack he will use, the one in the middle of the circle. Remember to tell the student in the middle to open his eyes before you give the signal to begin the attack. This exercise will force the student to defend himself from an unknown attack from an unknown position using a techniques or move from the “top” of his head.
Remember, if the initial technique or techniques you use in a fight do not work for any reason them you need to continue with another technique. For that you need the skill to improvise to adapt to every situation fast.
Eduardo Lugaro is the co-founder of http://thegateland.com, an Internet Portal and online shopping mall. He also hold several Black belts and is the founder of Combat Dragon Kenpo, a system direct 100% to self defense and street fighting. Find sports equipment, sport videos, apparel and much more without leaving homeat www.thegateland.com Your Gate to Inline Shopping. For more Info write at: info@thegateland.com
