Page 60 - Pat O'Keeffe Combat Kick Boxing

Combat Kick Boxing

Chapter Four
Hold-Breaking

An observation of any fight will reveal that grappling is inevitable. Usually after a
flurry of blows, the two antagonists will close and wrestle, either standing up or
on the ground. It cannot be emphasised enough that grappling and hold-breaking
skills are essential requirements for effective self-defence.
If you are attacked by more than one person it makes sense for one of them to
get hold of you to (a) stop you from getting away, and (b) restrict your attempts to
fight back.
Further, if you are held and your
assailants have a weapon you are in
very serious trouble. It is a relatively
simple matter for them to grab you and
stick a knife in your ribs. Equally, it is
very difficult for you to defend
yourself against a weapon whilst your
movement is restricted.
Being held in a fight is a deadly
serious business and no effort should
be spared in breaking the hold at the
Fig 67 first opportunity. When I first took up
kick boxing, the rule systems of some
organisations allowed throwing – Thai
boxing still does. I managed to exploit
this because judo was the first martial
system I had trained in.
I quickly found it was a general
truth that if someone wanted to stop
you hitting them, they first had to grab
and pin you, but this set them up for
being thrown. Further, the act of
Fig 68 grabbing set them up for being hit.
Both throwing and hitting skills are
needed in combat and the ability to
flow smoothly from one skill into
another is essential.
Further, in street situations I found
that bigger, stronger men would try to
rush and overwhelm me before I could
hit them. Throwing skills that exploited
their commitment of weight and
movement were essential. I also learned
Fig 69 that it was important to sidestep and hit
an assailant from an angle. Standing in

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