Eight Deadly Mistakes in Hand-to-Hand Combat

Eight Deadly Mistakes in Hand-to-Hand Combat

Agility, balance, circling movement and proper stances are just as important as actually striking your opponent. Not getting hit is more important than hitting your opponent.

These are deadly mistakes:

Never stand in front of your opponent. Instead circling away from his strength. If your opponent is right handed, circle to your right. You become a punching bag, standing in front of your opponent.

1. Never stand with your forward foot parallel to your opponent’s position. Instead assume a boxer’s stance, forward foot pointed approximately toward your opponent. Pushing forward toward the other knee when in the position described above can easily break your knee. You also have no defense against a strike aimed to the back of the neck in that position.

2. Never stand facing tour opponent with both feet in a parallel line with your opponent. Instead assume a boxers stance. With both feet on line parallel to your opponent, you can be pushed off balance and fall to the ground. Where you are at the mercy to your opponent.

3. Never be too eager to hit your opponent. Instead adopt a defensive mode of using agility using circling movements to avoid being hit. Anytime you punch, kick or attempt a throw, you leave yourself open for a counter move. The most prudent strategy is to move in and out in a circling movement and through eye flick strikes. Eye flick strikes are thrown by flicking your fingers in the opponent’s eyes. This strike is so quick it is almost impossible to stop. Once the opponent is temporarily blinded he can be injured with stinger strikes.

4. Never tense up, hold your breath during the execution of a punch, or try to punch hard. Instead, concentrate on defensive movement. Tensing up, holding your breath and trying to put a lot of effort into each punch, burns up too much energy and is also counter productive. Punch fast not hard. Let your opponent burn himself out while you just use defensive movement and eye flicks.

5. Never enter a fight where you will think of what moves you will make against your opponent. All your moves and strikes should be spontaneous. You cannot think of what you are going to do. You must do it without thinking because the action is too fast for conscious thinking followed by action. Look for an opening in the opponent’s weak spots, which are the throat, eyes, chin and groin. As soon as you see the opening the opening you will respond with some strike.

6. Never fight half-heartedly. Never give your opponent a break or he may come back to injure you. If you are fighting only had enough to subdue your opponent, you are not fighting all out. This could be a losing strategy.

7. Never enter a fight if you have the option to escape without a fight. Your opponent may be a much stronger fighter than you expect. He may have a gun or knife or other weapon hidden on his person. Fight only to save yourself from great bodily harm or death. Always run if you can.
Uncle Ho Kim has said, “Never, ever, play leapfrog with a unicorn.” The same applies to hand-to-hand combat. Never fight unless there is no way out!