Let’s look at combinations 8 and 9

Posted on November 6, 2026 by matt

Because they are so similar, we chose to look at combinations 8 and 9 as a group. Combination 8 required some adjustment, but I agree with Tom Cambell’s take. Putting the foot down between the kicks allows much faster movement. Combination 9 shares the flaws and strengths of 8 as it constitutes the first two thirds of the technique. We explored a couple of options, and offered a few viable choices. I even brought in a variation from Kempo-Jutsu. Given that 8 is really a subset of 9, do we really need both?

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Time for 18 to get a look.

Posted on November 4, 2026 by matt

I’ve had issues with 18 for a long time, and have tinkered with it on the way. I feel like Chris and I pulled together a pretty solid adaptation. However, based on some of the feedback on YouTube, I have to clarify a detail that Chris mentioned. I’ve changed the ‘backhand’ into a strike that involves the fingertips to elbow, more like a ridgehand to the side of the neck, combined with a forearm to the clavicle, with an elbow to the sternum. It hits like a truck and really surprised Chris. He thought I should mention it in the video, but I thought it was clear – I was wrong. The biggest addition beyond that was bringing the right hand into play on the entry – it seemed the simplest way to deal with the ‘second punch’ problem, and added to the control when pulling the opponent to you. I’m kind of proud of this one.

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More Thoughts on Combination Three

Posted on November 3, 2026 by matt

Although I don’t add the block to combination three, if you do you should watch this short by Marlon Wilson as he has a solid take on the combination. It’s not about doing things my way – it’s about finding a functional way that fits your system.

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