516 - Block Pass Pin / Hubud / Hubad: Am I learning the right thing and at the right time?
Survival vs Martial politics / criticisms / functional uses of this great drill
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Whether you refer to it as Hubud or Hubad, there are several common problem points in the execution of this drill that can have knock-on effects with its efficacy as a collection of fighting skills not only for defence but for striking too.
Now when I say “problem” points, I mean for me personally in relation to what my uses for this drill would be - IE, self defence training, I couldn’t give a monkey’s about a style other than understanding something that might be useful for me there.
By it’s very nature it is a repetition drill which is foundational to learning a skill that you wish to develop to be immediate and instinctive. But based upon my own views rather than the views of a system or style, I started to feel some issues arising which I will discuss here.
In fact, just like in the new social landscape where terminology and ideology are more important to some than actual results, the opening sentence of this article is probably enough to trigger frothing at the mouth from various camps looking to argue about even the name.
Thus the stripped of system jargon: “Block, Pass, Pin”.
But following on from the name, there’s the actual goal of it that others will argue about too, for instance: Is it a bunch of skills put together to practice dynamically?
Or
Is it an entire system in itself?
To either of these, I will just nod, smile and say “Yes, you’re right.” while looking for the exit.
For this is not my interest here. What is though, are specific problem moments that often occur regardless of your viewpoint on the drill itself, during the learning stage and if not spotted can derail a lot of the great benefits derived from it.
I used to use this drill a fair amount, people enjoy it and you can get some progress with it but I found that when I played around with it, took it apart and made changes in how (and when) it was used I felt that, the progress and understanding of practical fighting skills was better (and faster), which is what I want to share with you here.
In terms of my own learning of this exercise, over the years I’ve been shown it in person by several teachers I sought who were considered master level and all were more or less similar in how they showed it, only the hands on experience or feel of the person was different.
I understand that it is a cornerstone method if you train in FMA for instance or JKD and I get where it fits there as a way of introducing ideas. The more you do it, you do indeed start to get an autonomic response to certain aggressive entries towards you and I, and students (see notes) have used this outside of training for defence, so I can say that it works but I’m very careful about which responses I wish to make hardwired.
From my own experience of training myself (I consider myself a person who studies the concept of “survival” NOT a martial artist) and many others, there are a few things that bother me about it which I looked at and altered in an effort to make it a better fit based on my area of study rather than someone else’s.
The old argument a few years back by one particular BJJ advocate and his followers of “But it lacks “aliveness” duuuuude!!” - has been discussed elsewhere and I don’t want to repeat what others have already looked at. It is an exercise made of fight-like movements not a fight, there are other training methods that need to be added to it.
The same could be said of pummelling at the start of every BJJ class anywhere on planet earth - does that lack aliveness too? No, it’s a really useful exercise.
The standard 6 count hubad drill allows huge numbers of repetitions to be achieved by two partners, which is especially useful for beginners, in an enjoyable way and to then, much like JKD and FMA, use it to introduce other further tactics within the framework for practice and retention as well as what Hock Hochheim would refer to as “synergy” - I’ll return to this particular concept later on as it’s really important..
Here’s the first idea, experts will say:
“Just as you have a flight simulator to learn how to fly a plane, Hubud is a fight simulator to learn how to… fight”.
I agree with this statement, the drill is useful in so many ways but …