Chinese Boxing Encounter Philosophy
The Chinese Boxing Encounter is built on a decision of choosing the best probability for success. The decision is that one should choose a method which will pick a moment to commit to go into the opponent and get close for a finish often manipulating weak areas of the opponent’s body that even the strong can not defend. The other option usually rejected by CBII is the hit and run method or the hit until the fight is over method. We are definitely not against hitting. As we enter we can hit and during the finish there may me hits, but hit and run philosophy loses to the faster and strong hitters the highest percent of the time.
In figuring percentages it is a tricky process. First of all there is a general truth that the better athlete/fighter will win the fight over the lessor athlete/fighter regardless of the strategy. This seems to be true most of the time in the hit and run or hit until finish method. In the Commitment to finish method still often the better athlete/fighter will win, but there is a greater chance of overcoming the greater power and speed by a smart method of getting inside the hitter and attacking the weak areas for control. Those of you who are involved in this process understand but these comments are for the outsider to just consider the strategy.
In developing the Chinese Boxing Method many obstacles stand in the way. First the smaller person is usually not excited about commitment to move in close to the opponent to capture. The smaller person will have obstacles to conquer here, but I believe still increase his/her chances. We are not talking about a self-defense situation, but we are referring to a fight between two skill fighters empty hand without the help of weapons etc.
Another obstacle are the interruptions and obstacles that occur during the forward pressure or closing stage of the fight and finish. As one reaches close to the opponent and is about t0 seize a vulnerable area or part of the opponent’s body, many last moment deflections and movements occur which an opponent in panic or otherwise will attempt to keep from being captured at an ending movement. The point of the encounter that we are focusing on is occurring while one is gaining distance on the opponent. This forward pressure point is building so touch at this point is not usually developed in traditional chi sao or push hands exercises and training. The body’s flexibility and softening is essential to produce the need moves so that one will not lose the advantage achieved in gaining distance to get close and capture the opponent. There will be variations to this as tall and short plays a role but to conquer this point of the fight is critical and is the topic for the Weat Coast CBII group that is coming to study this weekend. Little to nothing is written about this area of combat because the forward pressure is not used very much except by grapplers who are coming in many times for a different type of finish.
Again, one can incorporate hitting into this method and we are not endorsing a “non striking method”.
January 16, 2012
jccravens
