Page 41 - Martial Science Magazine Feb/2015 #7

Jiu-Jitsu and Aikido, unbalan- two skilled boxers circling one rhythm of the fight and is cons-
cing an opponent is the key to another a number of things are tantly chasing the other, more
the throw. In the early stages going on. First and foremost, balanced and controlled fighter.
of study in any of these arts the both fighters are being evasive, An unbalanced opponent cannot
novice often misses a throw be- since by design it is harder to hit get set to play his game. He can-
cause they are rushing to com- a moving target than one that is not develop a meaningful attack
plete the action and fail to put standing still. Second, they are and is forced to react to the other
their opponent off balance. It is circling one another looking for fighter’s punches and footwork
the unbalancing of an opponent opportunities to create openings and, in a larger sense, tactics.
which is foundational to the exe- in the opponent’s defense. Howe-
cution of the throw. The novice ver, a very important part of cir- Looking closely at these two
will regularly try to muscle the cling and other footwork in bo- very different approaches to fi-
throw when the opponent is in a xing is to keep the opponent off ghting we can see that putting an
strong, balanced position rather balance. If a fighter is off balan- opponent off balance is a central
than put them in a weaker, un- ce he cannot hit hard. A fighter idea to both. In throwing, unba-
balanced position in which the needs to be planted and set for lancing prepares the way for the
opponent can easily be upended. an effective punch to be thrown. offense. It also makes it possible
For this reason the throw will Muhammed Ali was a master at for a smaller fighter to control
not work. For instance, with the keeping his opponents off balan- and overcome a larger, stronger
osoto gari takedown the thrower ce and had no fear whatsoever of opponent. In boxing, unbalan-
steps to the side of the opponent getting hit by the vast majority cing prevents the opponent from
pulling the opponent off balance of the people he fought. That’s a developing a meaningful attack
as he steps. It is only then, when major reason he earned a 56-5 and also creates excellent oppor-
he has a clear opportunity to take record with 37 knockouts. By tunities for entry. Now, let’s see
the opponent’s near leg with his keeping an opponent off balance, how these ideas can be applied
inside leg that he can upend the by preventing him from getting in Wing Chun by looking a little
opponent and drive him to the set to hit, a boxer can nullify the more closely at the wooden dum-
ground. The unbalancing move opponent’s offense. Keeping one’s my form.
of stepping to the side and pu- opponent off balance allows the
lling him off balance neutralizes boxer the opportunity to ventu- Let’s take a few examples from
any advantage the opponent mi- re forward more safely to probe the first two sections of the form.
ght have be it size or strength. For the opponent’s defense and enter In the first section we engage the
the instant that the opponent is more safely when an opening is arm of the dummy with the jong
off balance the thrower is “stron- found. sao. We then execute an inside
ger” than his opponent and can lop sao with the left hand to the
take advantage of the opponent’s A third advantage to keeping an right arm of the dummy and dri-
“weak”, unbalanced position. It opponent off balance in boxing is ve the right hand inside of the left
is the unbalancing that allows a that it makes the opponent fight arm of the dummy and grab the
smaller, less strong opponent to the other fighter’s fight. An un- back of the dummy’s “neck”. The-
overcome a bigger, stronger ad- balanced opponent is constantly re are a number of implications
versary, since it is the unbalan- trying to recover a comfortable here. The initial engagement of
cing itself that creates the mo- position that is being taken away the dummy arm by the jong sao
ment of opportunity to do so. from him by the fighter who is the engagement of the oppo-
keeps him off balance. He is too nent’s attacking arm by your own
In boxing, keeping an opponent busy recovering to attack and de- attack be it a punch, a biu sao or
off balance has several tacti- fend effectively. He has lost the even a man sao. The inside lop
cal advantages. When we watch ability to control the tempo or sao unbalances the opponent and

FEBRUARY/2015 41