Jim Brassard Teaches Combination 2

3 Responses to Jim Brassard Teaches Combination 2

1. Joe says:

   January 22, 2012 at 12:49 am

   DO GM Brassard’s ideas make sense ? Yes and no.

   Yes his theories om minimizing his footwork, strike/blocking to a nerve center and not telegraphing his counter strike are accurate but that is not the point of Combo #2.

   All combinations are simply designed as training aids to allow you to learn and develop certain skills. All combs and kempo punch defenses are designed to allow you to evade or stop an attack, counter and stun your attacker, finish your attacker and then cross/cover to not only watch your attacker but survey your surrondings for additional assailants or a counter attack by the original attacker.

   No combs are mean’t to be done in a REAL attack exactly as taught, they are simply training aids to develop skills.

   In Kajukenbo, an art Chinese and SKK are descended from, the punch defenses are called alphabets and the term was picked for a reason.

   Just like we all learned our A B C’s in grammar school. We learned THE alphabet as children to develop our ability to read, write and develop grammar. All aspects of the alphabet are important but may not be used regularly. We routinely utilze vowels but somewhat rarely use certain letters like Z but it is there if and when we need it.

   This is the same for the combination techniques.

   #2 was not taught incorrectly because the purpose of #2 is the so called box step to teach us to move laterally and get beside or beyond your assailant. While simply stepping back to a side horse is yes faster because of one less step but would not neccasarily put us where we want to be and depending on your surrondings you may not be able to step back (against a wall, in a crowd etc.) but you may be able to box step or shuffle to the side .

   The block/strike in the original #2 is not a push but a block/strike to the nerve centers in the upper forearm, at least thats how I was taught it.

   So yes all combs can be improved upon but the improvement may miss the point of the technique.

   The combinations are develpoed to teach blocking/evasion, stun/attack, finishing and situational awareness with flow. The specifics of the technique may not be the best and many strikes are simply add ons to the learning goal of the technique.

   The point of #3 is the evasion of the attack which can be followed up by a variety of strikes or takedowns, the point of #12 is to stop your attacker with a counter offensive move which could be just as easily hand techs versus the strikes used.

   So I know I’m long winded but yes GM Brassard has valid points but by changing the technique for efficiency sometimes the real reason and lesson behind the technique is lost which then makes them not the specific combs/learning tools but just another kempo punch technique.
2. Jesse Dwire IV says:

   January 23, 2012 at 10:48 am

   cant wait till part two since the original of this I believe was taught right foot back off of a right cross punch. I still like the L step and getting in.. but I teach this like Prof. Kimos parting wings in the begining. I liked the minor over the major strike for the back punch.. always did it that way. I need to check my notes – but i remember some very notable instructors always saying step twice to make the opponent mess up. Also, is it not making it harder if you force the opponent forwards and downwards in “his” block to then redirect his energy backwards? especially if his base leg that you will be attacking is backwards?
3. Todd says:

   May 9, 2012 at 2:30 am

   Good points in video, and by both commentors. Yes #2 is a basic “foundation” combo to teach you fundamentals. I always moved to the side in one motion, pretty much anyways, not as 1 step – 2 step, but in a fluid continuous motion. I’d execute the block (if you want to call it a 3 block at this point) while I was moving to the side position. So I’d never actually be doing a “right angle box step”, more of a rounded off 45. Plus I’d never do a “hard” block, just a “glance” so as to avoid what Brassard is saying might happen with a hard 3 block. More of a “stop” than a block. Much of a block isn’t necessary, cuz you are moving out of the way. The block isn’t really the issue of this combo.
   Also, I have it as an uppercut back two knuckle under opponent’s chin. This, I believe, is the principle taught of beginning to move his head/upper body backwards. Then shuffle past him (towards your right) and further push him back, off balance to his rear, with a Right Outward Elbow (with your forearm horizontal and with your left palm against your right fist for support and power) to his solar. If all this is done correctly then he should be ready to fall backwards. Then the Right arm Ridgehand “scoop” to his Achilles, need be nothing more than a “clip”. His center of gravity should be well behind his left heel. I have it has continue with your Right Ridgehand scoop, and bring his foot all the way up high (he on his back now). Tuck his left leg (thigh/knee) behind your Right Knee, then strike straight down with a Right Shuto to his groin. Or, in the alternative, place your Left Palm against his left heel and push his foot towards his head, and strike with Right Shuto to the groin.
   But Brassard does make some good points. Could be a 2B. But he’d need to shuffle in across a greater distance to get behind opponent, from his position. We need to see his part II video. But if striking/blocking to his arm that way, and bringing him down a bit, then an uppercut back two knuckle is not going to be possible. If I was presented with that situation, I’d just grab the guy’s hair with my left hand, pull him forward a bit, and give a right chop to the base of his cerebral cortex….Zzzzzzzzzzzz!!! (i.e. the same thing I do whenever a BJJ guy tries to tackle me and take me down……..Oh!! sorry!! can’t do that, that’s against THEIR Rules!!!!….. dq’d). But with him in a slightly forward and bent over position, the Right Ridgehand Scoop isn’t going to work too well. But you can do a right arm scoop behind his right knee/hamstring. Even better, if you shuffle in behind him, you can use your Left arm to scoop behind his left knee together with grabbing at the front of his hair with your right hand and pulling him back. Now that could be quite rude!!! There are possiblities there. Come to think of it, there are some interesting things you could do.
   If you do it as Brassard is doing it, and guy doesn’t bend over too much, then you could do an immediate Right Back Fist or Hammer to his right side. Then you could be turning to your right and do a Left Palm strike to his chest. Then you could do a takedown on his left leg in a number of ways similar to #11 combo, moving in facing straight on to him. Finish with his left foot high, and striking to groin. i.e. takedown could be a right hand behind his heel from the outside, together with a left palm/shuto at just above his left knee. Pull/Push. That’s interesting….. I kinda like that. I just made that up.

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