When being attacked by an assailant, they come at you from their favorite position; standing. Moreover, for the sake of this lesson, they attack you with either a punch or a grab. Let's imagine your student is sitting in a wheelchair, or if on crutches for the sake of this lesson, your student is sitting in a chair. The attacker is standing with their head higher than yours. This position is beneficial for you as they must bend over to grab or strike you, which requires them to become off balanced. Off balancing our opponents is ideal and therefore is a condition martial artists often create in a confrontation. When an adversary is off balance, their body is open for an attack.
In this lesson, I will describe the principles of speed stacking and off balancing. Speed stacking is when you layer the interception of an attack with quick strikes, throws, locks or breaks. The term is Tao Chin: Intercept attack. Intercept their attack, capture the limb so that it cannot be reloaded for another attack, pull them or push them to keep them off balanced and then strike, throw, or lock them. All of these maneuvers happen as if it is one motion, rather than several. Thus the attack happens very fast.
1. Gua, Lou, Cia: Hook, Grab, Pull, Strike.
Your attacker stands to face you.
He punches your face with his left fist.
Intercept his fist with your hand forming a praying mantis claw. Index finger extended and slightly bent support underneath with your thumb. The three other fingers curl into your palm.
Th right hand forms a mantis claw and drapes over his forearm drawing him to your right side in a snapping motion.
Your left-hand crabs with a claw over the top of his elbow and forearm pulling him in further.
Your right-hand strikes his face with a judo fist: The first and second fingers knuckles extend farther out with your thumb supporting the bottom of the fingers. The other fingers form a regular fist.
Strike him three times rapidly in the eyes, the nose, and the throat.
When the body receives multiple impacts in rapid succession, the nervous system shuts it down.
2. Beng Da: Downward Block, Strike.
Your attacker stands to face you.
He attacks with a left straight punch to your face.
You intercept his fist with your right palm rotating from your elbow down on it.
As your right palm is pushing it down, your left hand goes over the top of your right hand and grabs his fist/wrist and drags it down more, while your right hand continues to rotate from the elbow, down then circling up, forming a fist, and then back fists his nose.
Then that same fist rotates back down away from him from your elbow, and with a mantis hook, you strike his groin, while still holding his fist with your left hand.
Then that same fist rotates back up back fists his nose again.
3 Tao Shin Da: Praying Mantis Intercept, Grab, Strike
Your attacker stands to face you.
He attacks with a right straight punch.
You intercept his fist and parry it to your left with your right palm attack to his wrist.
Your left mantis hook reaches under your right hand and transferring the hold with a grab
While pulling his arm to your left.
Your right-hand forms a mantis claw and then aims the back of your hand at his face.
While pulling him toward your left with your left claw, your right mantis hook backhands his face then rotates and strikes solar plexus, then with an upward fist strikes his chin.
This motion is pulling his arm in and striking his face at the same time.
After each technique assume a defensive stance with both fists, one forward your head and one to the side of your head, covering the sides of your face, while your elbows are close to your ribs.
4. Gwau Da: Upper Block Strike
Your attacker stands face you.
He brings his right fist down on your head in arch, (called a hammer blow.)
You block the fist with your forearm raised at 45% above and in front of your head.
At the same time you straight punch his nose, throat or solar plexus.
Assume defensive stance