‘Combinations’ – a word bandied around like so many others in our everyday vocabulary; but certainly worthy of some deeper consideration to the thinking martial artist and/or fighter. Without preamble – I would like to offer my thoughts on a simple formula upon which all combinations (in my opinion) should be based. It need not matter whether we apply this formula to a stand-up scenario or a ground/grappling scenario; the truth of it remains constant.
Firstly, combinations should not be based or developed upon any notion of what looks or even feels ‘good’. Case in point: I was visiting a school earlier this year – and was watching the tail-end of a grading in which a group of people were being tested for their 2nd degree black belts. The part of the exam that I witnessed saw them working “front kick combinations”. I could hardly believe what I was looking at! There they were; whipping out combo after combo – and it went like this: Front Kick, left hook, right cross – or Front Kick, uppercut, elbow – or even worse, Front Kick, head-but, right cross. No doubt about it; they looked sharp enough, crisp, snappy and all that – but the one thing that everyone had failed to do it seems, was to apply just a tiny bit of thought as to the workability of these combo’s. For even someone who has only thumped in four or five good front kicks over the life of their training will tell you – if you land that good driving front kick, the opponent is usually shoved violently backward and will well out of range for any well-intended uppercut or head-but follow-up. What looks good or feels good is not necessarily the same thing as ‘what works well’.
Simply put, the formula goes like this: Work a move, any move, and work it well. Once you have done that, apply it in sparring/grappling/fighting whatever, note what effect it has on the opponent or how the opponent reacts to it – then ask yourself the fundamental question: How can we capitalize on that effect or reaction. This will give us our ‘follow-up’ move. Now put it together, and work it some more – and some more – etc.
In my school, we call this the ‘Plan B’ principle. Over the course of a year, provided you are training diligently, it is easy to ‘Plan B’ four or five moves. Understand though, our first technique, our ‘A’ move, is still what we are trying to bring into full effect, and then we are following up with our ‘Plan B’ move if needed – we do not ‘fake’ with our first shot – we give it everything!
Rigan Machado once told me, during the late eighties, “Jiu Jitsu is very simple. You just try a move, any move and see what the opponent does. Then work out your next move, based on his reaction. That’s Jiu Jitsu!”
This sage advice from Rigan may seem over-simplified; but it does remain at the heart of any truly combative art; Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling, Boxing, Fencing, Judo, etc. If you are ‘in the trenches’ and getting sweaty and all, then you will know the truth of this, even if only with one or two moves. Plan B as many techniques as you can – but where to start. My advice, is start to do this with those techniques you use the most; the ones you know the best. You will probably already have an idea of how people react when you try the move; or perhaps more to the point, what people do that prevents the move from working – for if you know that, then you are ready to start developing your Plan B technique.
For the most part – at least in Jiu Jitsu – Plan A is for the unsuspecting masses – Plan B is needed when dealing with those who have been subjected to Plan A one times too many, and are now countering it effectively. Look closely enough, think hard enough, and you will come up with the perfect follow-up – and there you go, in business once again!
The nice thing about groundwork – is that you can develop a knowledge of the opponents reaction to a given move, in a relatively short time, as compared to a stand-up situation. This is largely because, usually there are a very finite (often only one or sometimes two) number of reactions that people have to ground-based techniques; and it becomes relatively easy to catalogue what these are. Also, you can work your groundwork at ‘full bore’ on a much more regular basis than you can your ’stand-up’; and you can do so with little or no injury. This means that you can ‘play the scenario out’ many times, with full intent, even in a single training session – difficult to do with a overhand-right, left hook combo – at least not without losing friends and taking a lot of punishment. So the mat provides a very friendly environment for the development of workable combinations. Nevertheless, keep the formula in mind – and run it past any of your favourite moves that you still fire-off as single shots! Enjoy the work-out – both physical and mental.
John B Will – November 2002
A selection of articles written by John Will.
For more of John’s writing please see his site Rogue Black Belt
