Nothing Gets Past Our Eyes Part 1

One day, around 9 pm, I was taking the train home. I had my earphones in, listening to my music. Suddenly, somebody screams. I jump in fright. My heart was beating. My lungs gasping for air. I took my earphones out and looked around. The screaming was from a woman. She was screaming because she was happy to see someone who she hadn't saw for while. From that day on, I never put on my earphones while waiting for the train. Even if it was in the morning.

I believe the most important thing in both self-defence and sparring is to open our eyes. Scan the area. On the streets, scan the view in front of you. Is there someone looking at you suspiciously? Are there teenagers running at each other? How about behind you? This is no different than training at a gym. Observe your opponent. Are they going to punch me? Are they leaving areas exposed for attack?

Basically, my point is to look at your surroundings. Identify the dangers. In the next post, we will look at ways to identify threats and quick clues that are useful for high stress situations.

What is Tactical Offence?

I have been training in martial arts since the age 15. My background was Shotokan. One day, before class started, a senior black belt student was practicing his kumite (sparring) techniques. I did not understand what he was doing. He took a step with his lead leg and punched with his lead hand at the same time. Then he retracted his hand and leg in unison back into his fighting stance. Later that night, I decided researched some Shotokan kumite techniques. One thing did not seem right.

I was watching a video of a Shotokan instructor teaching his student a sweeping technique. Could this exact move be replicated on the streets? Could this technique help me against a bigger and taller aggressor? These questions made me rethink my martial arts journey. What techniques would work just as well in kumite as it would on the streets? More specifically, I asked myself, "Could I develop my own system that could teach people in a way such that they would learn self-defence and sparring at the same time?"

This is what lead me to develop my own system called Tactical Offence. I am nowhere near creating something in which one could be a master in both self-defence and sparring. I am always on the lookout for my techniques to add to my arsenal. I hope you will journey with me as we live, breathe, and sleep martial arts.