October 8, 2017 Misc. Stick & Unarmed Self Defense Training

Hooked up with my friend and Instructor Ralph and a few other guys today out in Queens. Best training session I've had in a while. We covered;

Basic 2 handed long stick strikes
Drilled with opponents
Used 2 handed stick work against an opponent closing with boxing type strikes
Worked with both baton length and cane length sticks
Some basic unarmed strikes, chokes, eye gouges, and bear hug & headlock escapes

I'm feeling it in my legs today. They're stiff and feel worn out. Ralph sets a good pace but knows when to call breaks. When we put on the headgear and gloves for the stick vs boxer drill I was a little concerned about my stamina/wind. I held up better than I thought, but it's apparent that being over 60 is not to be brushed off. I was glad I'd been doing some interval drills the last couple of months.

I have to say though that it (stick vs boxer) was my favorite drill of the day.

This drill was essentially force on force for 20 to 30 seconds at a time. This goes back to what I have said in reference to a small knife class I went to about a year and a half ago run by Chris Fry from MDTS training.

I had tried some different interval work for a while after that class, but had gotten away from it. As I said above I had started up again and now I'm glad I did. Nothing like actually trying to either chase down or get away from an opponent while either attacking or defending to work your footwork, balance, speed, and cardio/stamina. BOBs and heavy bags are great to hit, but they don't move around or try to hit back.

As for the drill, nothing complicated. The stick guy has a stick (PVC pipe core with closed cell foam wrapping with a nylon casing over it), protective gear not needed. The attacker wears a padded helmet with face-guard, and a pair of Lacrosse gloves. The attacker comes in throwing conventional punches while the stick guy delivers two handed strikes (think Kendo grip) to the head, hands, and legs until Ralph calls a stop. As I said, generally about 20 to 30 seconds. The idea is to keep the attacker off of you using stick strikes and footwork.

Ralph described the drill as;

“The drills are live drills. The boxer will eventually get you because he has a helmet on and lacrosse gloves and can take a pounding to get in. However the test is for the stickfighter to see how many damaging shots he can deliver before the boxer gets in. If there were no helms/gloves and the stick wielder was using a wooden cane, the boxer would be busted up after 1-3 good hits. The drill tests your footwork, stamina, and the ability to get in multiple hits.”

A good time was had by all.