Single Direct Attack

The direct attack is executed swiftly and economically. It takes the shortest, most direct path to the target without extraneous movements. Successful execution requires superior speed, agility and focus to penetrate the opponent’s defense without being blocked. There are seven stages in the advancing action of a direct attack.

7 stages of direct attack1. Preparation: relaxed but poised
2. Initiation: explosive speed
3. Acceleration: speed up smoothly
4. Impact: total concentration of power
5. Follow-through: release the force
6. Withdrawal: natural mechanics return the weapon to its original place
7. Recovery: return to strong stance, with good defense

Each of these steps takes place in a split second or less. When you practice any attacking movement, be conscious of each step as it applies to the technique. Be totally involved in each phase of the action as it occurs without hurrying or skipping ahead.

Why it's Important to be Relaxed in a Fight

If your mental state becomes too active before combat, or if you have difficulty returning from your psyched-up state of mind after combat, relaxation techniques can be helpful. Like psyching-up, relaxation has to be practiced and can be induced through cues.


A simple way to learn relaxation is through progressive muscle relaxation. Begin by tensing a muscle group and then relaxing it. Work through all of the major muscle groups in each session. Eventually progress to relaxing the muscles without prior tension. Increase the number of muscle groups you are consciously
able to relax at once.

The next step is to transfer your relaxation skills to your practice sessions. Concentrate on relaxing your muscles in the pre-movement stage. Initiate every movement from a relaxed state to increase speed and power. When you can initiate from a relaxed posture, focus on maintaining that relaxation in all of your nontarget muscles (those not directly used in creating the movement). Finally, try to relax your target muscles until just before the point of impact. This will create maximum speed and improve your endurance by conserving energy.


Practicing relaxation in the comforts of your home or training area will not necessarily help you relax under stress. To enhance your ability to relax under stress, create unfavorable conditions under which to practice your relaxation techniques. Try to manage your anxiety through relaxation techniques when you feel most stressed, whether in training or in other areas of your life. Consistent practice will lead you to success.

Improving Reaction Time

There are several formulas you can use to hone your reaction timing.

1. Attack when the opponent is preparing his attack. His mind is occupied with what to do next and he is not
fully prepared to attack or defend.


2. Attack when the opponent steps forward or backward. The key is to attack before his stepping foot
touches the ground. While one foot is in the air, the balance of the body is easily upset, but once the step is
completed, an attack is imminent.


3. Attack when the opponent’s attack is at its maximum height. He is unable to retreat quickly and his
balance is extremely vulnerable when his body is fully extended.


4. Attack when the opponent hesitates or is nervous. His indecision is your cue that he has mentally let down
his guard and is vulnerable to attack.


5. Attack just after your opponent completes an attacking movement. Every muscle needs a brief period
of recovery between exertions. Take advantage of this by attacking as soon as the movement is finished.

Overcoming Fear of Failure

Another common fear is fear of failure or fear of losing. This is more of an illusory fear than the fear of injury. Being seriously injured is a reality that could change the course of your life forever. Losing or failing is only a temporary emotional setback. If you have a great fear of failure, look at the possible root causes. Have you trained enough? Is your opponent much better than you? Do you have something to prove by fighting?

There are many causes of failing, ranging from poor training to just plain bad luck. Some you can control and some you cannot. Forget the uncontrollable. Look closely at the controllable factors like your determination to succeed, the amount and quality of your training, your ability and skill level. Assess each of these realistically. If you find that something is truly lacking, take action immediately to fix it.

More likely, you have become the victim of self doubt. Your skill does not change when you leave the training area and step into the combat site. But your self-perception might change. Try to focus on the reality of your present situation, rather than imagining all of the horrible things that could possibly happen.

If you cannot focus on success, think about the worst possible outcome. Is failing or losing really so awful? And even if it is, does it deserve your valuable time and emotion? Isn’t there something more important for you to be thinking about at this critical time in your life?

Types of Backfists

Types: 
1. Straight: traveling directly to the target
2. Circular: with a wide follow through
3. Downward: traveling on a downward arc
4. Spinning: using a ¾ turn to the rear

Targets:
1. Straight: jaw, face
2. Circular: jaw, ear, neck
3. Downward: jaw, face
4. Spinning: ear, jaw

Fighting from Neutral Range

NEUTRAL RANGE


Definition
Neutral range is the distance at which neither combatant can effectively attack with the weapons available.

Advantages
The neutral range gives you the time to prepare your strategy and ample opportunity to change plans as you observe your opponent. The neutral range is the ideal range from which to begin the confrontation because you can get yourself ready immediately.

Disadvantages
The neutral distance leaves you vulnerable to a surprise attack from your opponent because when you are at a neutral distance, your mind is less alert than at any other range. Don’t discount the possibility of an attack  from any distance.

Be prepared at all times.
Neutral distance is inefficient for attacking because an attack that covers a lengthy distance is easy to detect and avoid.

How to attack
Attacks from neutral range require explosive speed and deception. To create speed, use quick footwork and combined movements. Feinting, set-ups and traps are all ways of confusing your opponent to create an opening for a surprise attack.

Tactics
Be alert and study your opponent in the neutral range. Be prepared to counter or reverse a surprise attack. In addition to surprise attacks, you can try to outwait your opponent. Eventually one of you will become impatient and attack. If you are patient, your opponent will attack first and give you the chance for a counter. This tactic requires patience and an iron will.

Some Tips on Feinting

Feinting is a delicate balance of physical and psychological deception. It takes a good amount of practice to master. Being able to portray many different “faces” in combat gives you an added edge.


Sequence of Feinting
1. Give a false movement
2. Make the opponent react
3. Take advantage of his reaction


Types of feints
1. False movement
2. Eye direction
3. Slow down
4. Change of speed
5. Psychological

Set-ups

Setting-up is often confused with drawing or feinting. While drawing and feinting lure the opponent into your trap, a set-up uses the opponent’s strength, habit or preconceived thought against him. The best way to understand a set-up is to look at some examples.

Example 1
Attack the opponent continuously with a straight punch to the face. He will raise his guard to block, expecting that the punches are your only strategy. When he becomes comfortable with his defense, attack with a hook kick to the leg. Make him create a habit, based on your habit. When you break your habit, he will be unprepared to respond.

Example 2
Attack with kicking combinations and give your opponent time to adjust to your kicking style. When he feels confident handling your kicks, rush in and throw him to the ground. Your unexpected change of tactics will catch him off guard.


Example 3
If you know the opponent well, you will not have to spend time to create a habit or psychological pattern as in the first two examples. For example, if you know he likes to counter with his right hook kick, give him a short right hook kick to the body. While he is countering with his favorite technique, follow up with a back kick to the groin. This will make him hesitate to use his best skill again soon.

Combat Range

Simply put, combat range is the distance between you and your opponent. This is, however, a broad definition and can be interpreted in many ways. To apply combat range to the science of strategy, you will need a more specific working definition. Combat range has to be thought of in two dimensions: real distance and relative distance. First practice real distance skills and when you understand them, look at the implications of relative distance.

Change of Tactics

Change of tactics states that if conventional tactics work, use them and if not abandon them for what works. Use every available option until you succeed. There are situations where even the mastery of conventional tactics is not enough to save you.

If you try striking and it fails, change to grabbing or throwing. If that doesn’t work, try locking or immobilization. If that doesn’t work, go back to striking. Often a combination of different attacks and tactics can extricate you where a single type of attack cannot. Consequently, Junsado emphasizes a diverse array of simple, practical skills that can be combined to defeat any style of opponent.

Often, empty hand striking alone will not be strong enough to defeat your opponent. When you find yourself in this situation, search out and use common environmental weapons. The list of possible environmental weapons is limited only by your creativity. Use whatever is necessary and works for you.

Using Circular Movement to Destroy the Opponent's Balance

Circular movement is excellent for destroying the opponent’s balance. Circular movements create two opposing but complementary forces that follow each other on the circumference of the circle. Examples include hip throws,
shoulder throws and rear hook takedowns. The theory of the circle applies to many different movements. The primary circles found in combat are:

1. The circle created by you and your opponent moving together.
2. The circle created by one person moving independently of the other.
3. The circle created by the movement of individual body parts.
4. The circle created by the force of one or a series of movements/blows.
5. The circle created by one person’s manipulation of the other.

Circular motion has the added advantage of centripetal force. When you move your arms and legs in circular kicking or striking motions, you become the center of the circle and the force of your blows is increased by the circular force generated. When you execute a throw, your body becomes the center of the circle and initiates the force of the throw. The weight of the opponent increases the force, which culminates in the impact with the ground.

Timing in the Fighting Arts

Timing is the ability to control the speed of your attack so it reaches its maximum efficiency at the proper moment. Timing is a combination of speed, accuracy and reflexes. To achieve proper timing, you must synchronize the various parts of your body to fit the speed of the movement being executed.

There are two types of timing: action timing and reaction timing. Action timing means selecting the right action at the right time. Simply put, find an opening and take advantage of it. Action timing is used for initiative attacks
against a neutral or defensive opponent.

Reaction timing is assessing your opponent’s offensive movements and selecting a proper response. It is commonly used in counterattacking. Reaction timing is always in response to an attack by the opponent and is more difficult to establish than action timing.

Both types of timing require good perception and judgment, accurate muscular response and correct performance of the intended movement. The body and brain must be synchronized to assess the current situation, select a proper response and execute the response in the time allowed.

Long Range Fighting Tactics

The long range is the distance at which either combatant can strike with their longest attacking implement usually by kicking, by striking, or cutting with a weapon.

Advantages


Long range is ideal for kicking or for using a long weapon such as the stick or sword. In long range combat, you can protect your vital organs and still strike the opponent in a split second. Long range strikes are good for applying maximum force in every strike because you have enough space to create acceleration force with long, powerful weapons.

Disadvantages


The long range and neutral range have similar disadvantages due to the amount of time a long strike takes to reach its target. It is both slower and more difficult to conceal than a short attack. Long attacks also leave you vulnerable immediately after the attack because you must sacrifice some space and time to execute a long range strike properly. Give special attention to maintaining your guard between long range attacks.

How to attack


Long range combat is well suited to linear and thrusting attacks. Take advantage of the time gap between your attack and your opponent’s response by following up every attack with another. Make maximum use of footwork to cover and close the distance.

Tactics


Study your opponent’s speed and habits. Understand his style so you can adjust your timing accordingly. Use both regular and irregular rhythms to confuse your opponent and draw him into your attack. Attack decisively and follow-up every attack with compound combinations.

Getting over Fear of Injury in Fighting

Fear has many sources. The most obvious source of fear in any contact activity is fear of injury. Before you engage the opponent, you will mentally size him up and consider how much damage he might be able to inflict on you.

This mental damage assessment comes from a basic instinct to remain safe. When you find yourself doing this, reverse your thinking. Think instead about how you have trained to avoid being hit and injured. Focus on the strength of your defense. Visualize how you will easily defend every attack your opponent attempts.


Before you experience being hit, you have an unreasonable amount of fear. By integrating contact training into your workouts, you become comfortable with being hit and anticipate the effects of blows on certain areas of the body. Once you get hit a few times, your fear diminishes. You become accustomed to the sensation of contact.

Practice recovering quickly from contact blows in your training. The human body is equipped with a front line defense system that is activated every time you face a potential physical threat. If you are injured, your body has a short-term coping system that suppresses pain and protects the injury until you are able to escape from danger. Minor injuries are almost completely masked until the fight is over. Even moderate to serious injuries like sprains, fractures and lacerations are much less obvious in the heat of combat.

Often the shock of being hit is more painful mentally than physically. When you get hit the first few times, you feel angry and frightened. Make a conscious effort to shake off this feeling and stick to your plan of attack. Don’t become distracted by your fear or anger. Rather, focus on the event.

Accept the fact that in every combat situation, both fighters will be hit and sustain some physical damage. No matter how skilled you are, you cannot avoid being hit when you engage in one-on-one combat. Fighting is an exchange of blows. The person who sustains the least amount of damage prevails.

Neutralizing an Attack

The main goal of the primary response is to neutralize the attack of the opponent and prepare to launch the secondary response. To do this effectively, you will need to establish four things in your favor in a split second:

1. Time
You can gain needed time by stunning your attacker into inaction or confusing his strategy. Use the time you gain to plan and execute your next movements. Every extra second is valuable time to prepare your secondary
response.


2. Stability
When you are confronted, you are likely to lose your balance and composure, at least momentarily. Psychological or physical instability creates additional openings for your opponent. By initiating a primary response, you will be able to regain a comfortable posture and prepare to attack. Now is the time to establish a strong but flexible position in preparation for your secondary response.

3. Superiority
Through an effective primary response, you can gain physical and mental superiority over your opponent. If you evade or block his attack, he will be momentarily unbalanced and discouraged. The mind controls the body and
plays a large role in its ability to function at peak effectiveness. Defeating or discouraging your opponent psychologically gives you a significant advantage.

4. Opening
In addition to temporarily stopping the attacking opponent, an accurate primary response will create an opening for your secondary response. In this sense, the primary response and secondary response are not separate actions but complementary parts of the whole.

Primary Response and Secondary Response

Offense and Defense. Attack and Counterattack. These basic concepts of combat are familiar to even the novice strategist. Perhaps too familiar. Have you ever taken the time to analyze the fundamental meaning of offense and defense?

Offense is generally viewed as forward movement against the opponent. Defense as the retreat and regrouping. Attacking quantifies the actions taken during the forward moving offense and counterattacking encompasses the actions that fortify the retreat.

At the beginner and intermediate stages of fighting, these concepts are useful for their simplicity. They give the fighter a clear sequence of actions necessary to defeat the opponent.

As a fighter becomes more skilled, he begins to find offense that moves backward and forward, that side steps and even stands still. He finds defense that doesn’t retreat.

To define the total concept of strategy, without the preconceived notions of offense and defense, think of it in terms of the primary response and the secondary response. The primary response is the segment of combat in which you neutralize your opponent. Neutralizing the opponent means destroying any advantage he has over you and establishing equal ground from which you can prevail. The primary response uses the conventional defensive tactic of stopping the advancing attack combined with the additional step of selecting a skill that will create a weakness in the opponent’s strategy for you to exploit.


When you have executed a successful primary response, the secondary response will follow naturally. It will take advantage of the neutralization and the vulnerability created by the primary response.

The primary response extinguishes the immediate threat posed by the opponent and the secondary response removes any further potential threat.

Knee Strikes

The knee is used effectively in combat against low section targets. A knee attack is helpful in freeing your upper body from the opponent’s grip. If he is concentrating on a grappling strategy, a knee to the leg or groin will distract him from his plan. A drop knee strike also can be used to finish an opponent. When the opponent is on the ground, concentrate your force into one knee and drop your body onto his body, creating a penetrating impact with your knee.

When striking, bend your knee tightly and use your hips to propel your knee to the target. Be cautious when striking hard objects with your knee because it is very vulnerable to joint and soft tissue damage. Use knee attacks against soft body areas like the groin, thigh muscle and stomach.

Half Stance Summary

Advantages of Half Stance:
1. Stable base for engaging opponent
2. Good lateral movement
3. Allows random attacks from both sides to high and low targets
4. Strong stance for grappling and close fighting

Techniques that Work Best with Half Stance

Defensive

• Resisting 
• Lateral evasion 
• Opening blocks
• Downward blocks 
• Pulling/Pushing 

Offensive

• Knee attack
• Punching
• Elbow strike
• Grabbing
• Throwing
• Locking
• Choking

Using Half Stance in Fighting

Half stance is an offensive, aggressive stance used primarily in close fighting circumstances. Once you come into contact with your opponent, switch to half stance and commit to your secondary response. By creating a stable base and freeing your upper and lower body for easy lateral movement, half stance allows you to attack strongly and confidently with a wide variety of striking and grappling skills.

Half stance is recommended for grappling, locking, throwing, joint immobilization, choking and grabbing. It also allows for great variety in lateral attacks using both right and left legs without the need for pivoting or spinning.
Use full stance to overpower and confuse your opponent. Defensively it is effective in resistance and lateral evasion in both close and neutral ranges. Avoid using half stance during medium range combat and in transitional movements when it is difficult to block incoming attacks. Half stance is vulnerable defensively because you are facing your opponent head on and exposing prime targets.

More about Full Stance

How to Make Full Stance Correctly:
1. Place both feet on one line aiming at the opponent.
2. Bend your knees slightly.
3. Relax your shoulders and turn slightly forward: Expose 20-30% of your body and conceal 70-80%.
4. Bend your arms 90º at the elbows and raise your hands to shoulder height or relax your arms naturally at your sides.
5. Your fists may be opened or clenched.
6. Look into your opponent.

Advantages of Full Stance:
1. Front arm and leg prepared for quick defense
2. Vital targets along centerline are covered
3. Easy attack and counter by front arm or leg without risk of exposing vulnerable targets
4. Easy forward/backward mobility to feel out opponent in early stages of combat
5. Front arm and leg positioned for quick transitional and initiating movements
6. Long range stance to preserve safety zone

Full Stance: Fighting from a Defensive Stance

The full stance is principally a defensive stance used in the primary response.

It allows you to maintain a safe distance from aggressors and to cover your most vulnerable targets. It also permits easy forward and backward body movement for quickly retreating and advancing in the opening moments of a confrontation.

Full stance is important defensively. If you assume a committed stance too
early in the fight, your opponent can set you up for an easy counterattack. Full stances should be used throughout the primary attack and in the early stages of the secondary attack to “feel out” the direction of the encounter and remain flexible until an opening appears.

The full stance emphasizes the use of the front arm and leg for blocking and the rear arm and leg for countering movements. It also is ideal for quick transitional moves like grabbing or lightning strikes to the face and lower body.

By combining quick frontal movement with easy body shifting, full stance allows you to close the distance abruptly and move to your secondary response. The position of your hips also makes it easy to perform rear leg and arm spinning movements as counterattacks. In full stance, your rear foot is at a one hundred eighty degree angle to your front foot. From this position, you can turn your upper body to the rear and shoot your rear leg out on a straight line to initiate the spinning movement. This is much more economical than executing from half stance.

In a defensive posture, the weight of the body is neutral (equally balanced on both feet) or shifted slightly to the rear foot. Half stance can be used offensively by shifting the weight to the front foot. This will, however, create a more committed and less mobile stance than a neutral or backward stance.

All of the movements made from full stance have a clear advantage. They allow you to strike quickly and economically while protecting the vital points along the centerline of your body.

Understanding Fighting Combinations

When you look at a sample technique or combination, analyze it carefully. First look at the primary response. What is it? Why is it effective? How will it work best for you?

Consider the secondary responses that follow. How are they combined? Which targets are they intended for? How can you adapt them to fit your body type and ability?

Through examining sample Junsado combinations, you will find several principles that run throughout Junsado. The hand skills, hook kick and knee strike are the main striking weapons. Joint immobilizations are used frequently to finish attackers, especially when the defender is disadvantaged. Every skill has a special purpose in training and execution.

As you practice each skill, you will come to understand its applications and purpose. Then you are ready to adapt it to fit your own physical and psychological character and style. Adaptation is the foundation of effectiveness in Junsado. When you master and adapt Junsado skills, they will fit you perfectly to your own nature. They will become part of you.

How to Practice Fighting Skills

As any fighter knows, excellent physical conditioning is prerequisite to learning combat skills. Physical and mental strength are an essential foundation on which to build your fighting skills. To increase your fundamental physical
condition, practice healthy habits in your everyday life. Adopt a daily conditioning and exercise program that exercises the whole body and especially the muscles and joints used in your combat training.

Based on your physical conditioning, start practicing the basic fighting skills. When you are ready to begin, take the skills one at a time or in small groups and work slowly at first. Every movement is a dynamic entity that cannot be expressed except through movement.

When you begin a new skill or movement, first visualize the ideal action. See yourself performing an accurate, fluid movement. Begin practicing slowly, with the focus on imitating the correct line of movement. Refine each skill individually adding speed and power when you have established the correct movement pattern.

Once you have practiced a technique thoroughly, begin practice with a partner. Start with arranged interactions and limited skills. Increase the spontaneity of the interaction as your skills develop. Always use excellent control
when practicing with a partner. These skills are meant for self-protection in actual combat and may cause serious injury if control is not exercised.

What is offense in fighting?

Offense is primarily those actions that deploy your superior strengths and its goal is to defeat the opponent. It is reliant partially on you and partially on your opponent. To defeat the opponent, your offense must be more than just good in the conventional sense. It also must be superior to your opponent’s defense. If you prepare excellent kicks and your opponent is better at blocking your kicks than you are at deploying them, you will lose.

Here it would be better to have another type of offense to fall back on. In a sense, superior does not always mean technically better. It can mean smarter, faster, stronger, more sophisticated. The offense that wins is the one that best fits your strengths and your opponent’s weaknesses.

In summary, when you master offense, the opponent will not know how to defend against you. When you master defense, he will have nowhere to attack. If you master the strategy of offense and defense as one, he will not even know whether to attack or defend.

Fighting Strategy: Don't get Tricked into Changing Yours

Strategy goes forward regardless of what the opponent attempts, yet at the same time is sensitive to the changes of the confrontation. To execute properly, you must know when to stick to your plan and when to change course. This means not being deceived by your opponent’s strategy. Know what is real and what is an illusion created by your opponent to trick you.

Direct Line of AttacK

In combat, planning to attack along the most direct and economical line is key. Be quick and concise without hesitation. However, do not mistake the most direct route for the shortest physical distance between your weapon and the target. The shortest route to accomplishing your goal may appear circuitous to the eye. But once put into action, it will be the most effective.

Imagine yourself traveling in a boat on the ocean, charting a straight course to your destination. Unexpectedly, lying directly ahead of you in your path is an island. You have two choices if you wish to reach your destination. You can go around the island by way of the boat or you can sail up to island, carry your boat across the island then get back in the boat and sail on your way.

The second choice is the shortest distance from one side of the island to the other. It is not, however, the most efficient. The most efficient route is to sail around the island. Although it appears to be a longer, digressive route in terms of distance, it is the more pragmatic in terms of energy expended. A boat is not meant to be carried over land, it is meant to travel in water.

Carrying a boat over land just to take the shortest route from point A to point B is to ignore the purpose of the boat. When traveling by boat, make the most efficient possible use of the boat. Though it does not readily appear to be the most direct line, it has its other advantages.

Be flexible. If your original plan of traveling straight ahead is not feasible by boat, you must adapt your course to what you have available.

Combat is the same. Travel the route of least resistance with the tools you have. Don’t be attached to appearances or plans. Sometimes the obviously direct route will be best and sometimes the less obvious direct route will be best. The best direct route is the one that maximizes the function of the techniques being used.

Junsado Principles

Junsado principles are divided into two elements: tactics and strategy.

Junsado tactics are a balanced combination of power and deception. Power is created by taking advantage of the most direct line of force and pinpointing the most vulnerable targets. Deception is caused by using a variety of skills and approaches to the opponent.

Junsado strategy is composed of primary and secondary responses. The primary response is the way of neutralizing the opponent’s attack through one of four possible types of actions: evasion (emptying the space), parrying (redirecting the line of attack), blocking (obstructing the line of attack) or cutting (filling the space). The primary response is usually followed by the secondary response. The goal of the secondary response is to end the confrontation as efficiently as possible. Secondary response includes hand skills, elbow strikes, knee techniques, foot skills, takedowns, throws and joint immobilizations. The key to effective use of primary and secondary response skills is in the ability to select appropriate techniques according to the situation and opponent. This ability comes from practice and experience.

Strategic Planning: How to Trap your Opponent

In fishing, baiting a hook and reeling in an unsuspecting fish is generally preferable to chasing the fish around the ocean until you catch it. Unless you can swim better than the fish, you should stay in your boat and make him come to you. Strategy is the same. Why chase after your opponent and run into his territory if you can make him come to you?

Set traps that will lure your opponent into your psychological and physical territory. Give him an irresistible opportunity (the bait) and prepare a counterattack (the hook) when he takes your bait. When setting a trap, take care not to expose it too soon. If you show your trap before he has fully committed, he will withdraw.

Conversely, do not wait too long. If he bites and gets stung by your trap, he will be furious. If you do not stun him into inaction, he will redouble his resolve to beat you. Waiting too long will result in a ferocious counter by your opponent.

Timing is of the essence for baiting the opponent. Maintain your composure  and let the opponent rush into you. While he is busy moving, mentally step back and with full alertness, view him like a fish circling your hook.

Stay detached and wait for the perfect moment to hook him and attack. Maintain a relaxed, ready posture and mind. Pick your chance and finish him when you are at a strategic advantage.

Can you win a fight with a single blow?

The ultimate combat situation is one in which you are able to finish your opponent with one initiative attack. This does not necessarily mean a single blow. It means finishing the fight with the strategy and tactics you planned without interference from your adversary.

Not everyone is able to finish with one blow, due to size and strength disadvantages. But regardless of your size or strength, you can win in one initiative if you plan and carry out the perfect strategy. This is the essence of
Junsado. Assess the situation, plan what will work for you and implement it perfectly. If your assessment is accurate, your plan fitting for both you and your opponent, and your implementation is flawless, you will experience the ultimate in combat.

The Importance of Experience in Fighting

There is only one way to gain experience and that is to engage in your target activity repeatedly. If this is not possible, engage in the most realistic simulations possible. Experience a variety of opponents and styles to test the validity of your skills and discover new approaches. The more experienced you are, the more
insightful you can be in developing a successful strategy.

Development of these eight elements directly and dramatically affects your fighting skills. Before you can win over your opponent, you have to master your own body and mind. Go into combat knowing you are fully prepared and in top condition. When you confidently approach your opponent, your chances of
defeating him are greater.

Once you have fully prepared yourself, you can begin to analyze the other factors that affect combat:
1. Your opponent’s qualities
2. Terrain
3. Environment
4. Weapons

Adaptability

Being able to adapt to the flow of the confrontation is essential. Adaptation means assessing your needs and selecting the proper actions for fulfilling them. Without adaptation, you may become the victim of your own strategy. Strategy is very transparent and a skillful fighter will quickly assess and counter his opponent. Train in many ways and experiment with variations of your favorite techniques to avoid becoming stale.

Efficiency in Combat

Being efficient is important in every physical activity. Your body has a limited supply of energy to burn at any given time. Conserving energy is of the utmost importance to enable you to engage in prolonged or strenuous physical activity. If both you and your opponent have the same amount of energy to expend during a bout, the one who uses it more efficiently will be the one who delivers the final blow.

Physical Conditioning

Like skill development, conditioning requires regular, focused practice. Set a workout schedule that is suitable for your training goals. Include exercises for endurance, timing, strength, speed and reflexes in your regular workouts. Set regular long and short term fitness goals for motivation and to track your progress.

Determination and Stamina

Determination and stamina play a large role in combat when fighters are equally matched. When physical skills are similar, the winner will be decided by sheer guts and determination. Whoever is able to fight harder and resist longer will be the victor. To build mental and physical stamina, train through feelings of fatigue and mild discomfort, and regularly engage in contact sparring/training.

What is Strategy?

Strategy is the map you follow through the combat process. It begins when you first see your opponent and ends when the opponent is subdued. Strategy is like a game plan or a play book from which you select your course of action according to the opponent and situation presented.

Using Deception in Fighting

To deceive the opponent, simply pretend something that is not true. Become an actor on a stage. The better you act, the easier it is to implement your strategy. Deceive your opponent into being busy. The busier he is reacting to your deception, the less time he has to think about attacking you.

Create many feints, fakes and draws that are convincing. Sometimes fake and sometimes attack. Make your opponent wonder whether every movement is a real attack or a fake. Keep his mind busy and insecure. Cause him to make useless movements and disrupt his plans. Take advantage of his mistakes. Cause him to miss. Make him defend against your fake attacks. Make him expend large amounts of energy without getting positive results.

Never let him become confident or comfortable with your style. Defeat him psychologically and you are half way to victory.

The role of Physical Ability in Fighting

Your physical ability is determined by the amount and quality of your practice. Every practice session should have a specific goal and every movement should be practiced with its application in mind. Avoid random or repetitious practice.

The Importance of Adaptation in Fighting

There is one additional necessity‒adaptation, which is the ability to adapt your tools or plans according to how the current situation is changing. Suppose you have your blueprint and the required tools and materials for your house. You begin to dig a hole for the basement and find that the ground is solid rock.

If you stick to your original plan, you will expend a large amount of energy to create very little gain. Here, it is wise to revise your original plan according to your newly gathered facts.

The human element of combat creates many instances of change. What appeared to be possible becomes impossible. What appeared to be unrealistic, becomes realistic. Constantly monitor the current circumstances to see if you can adapt your strategy or tactics to a better course of action. Watch for unexpected openings and be prepared with alternative plans when your original fails.

Defining Combat

Conflict between opposing forces. This is the most universal definition of combat. The concept of combat is that of opposition, resistance, competition, discord. And in many instances of combat, this is the reality. Most conflict is born of animosity, anger, fear, hate, or another negative emotion.

But there is another type of combat, that of warriors, those trained in the art of combat not just the skills. They may begin the fight out of emotion, but once they engage the opponent, emotion disappears. It is replaced by total concentration and dedication to a single ideal—victory.

The 4 Basic Punches

Straight Punch

Key: The straight punch provides the most direct route of attack for the fist to high and middle section targets.
Targets: Face, solar plexus

Hook Punch
Key: The hook moves in an inward arc that utilizes the angle of the elbow to magnify the force of the upper body and the fist.
Targets: Torso, jaw

Uppercut
Key: The uppercut moves in an upward arc using the angle of the elbow to magnify the power of the hips and lower body with the impact force of the fist.
Targets: Chin, diaphragm, groin

Downward Punch
Key: The downward punch moves in the opposite direction of the uppercut and is based on the same principle of magnifying force through unification.
Targets: Face, sternum