542 - (FREE TO READ) Survival Footwork: The Pivot
Aide memoire: Using the pivot during retreat against an aggressive attack (S.I./F)
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This is a combined Training Diary and Aide Memoire post as I was covering various uses of the pivot during the last couple of Tuesday night workshops.
Jeth
Being backed towards a wall:
The pivot has many uses in terms of solutions to various problems, but here I looked at the situation of controlling space while being aggressively encroached upon by an aggressor who may also be swinging punches at you, and perhaps even trying to back you up against a wall to cut off your retreat.
If you are managing to at least back up in a controlled manner and using your raised back heel as a guide - like a blind person’s white stick - you will feel the edge of an object as you hit it.(0)
Performing the following will allow you to pivot off your lead foot (if the space either side allows) and then counter (strike, grapple etc) from a more advantageous outside position or indeed, escape and run depending on what the situation calls for.
Pivot:
You are in southpaw stance and your back left heel just touched a curb or wall of some kind as you were backing away from the assault.
Immediately trigger a subtle weight shift by pressing through the ball of your back foot and turn out/”Pivot” 45 degrees (1) to the right on the ball of your front right foot while ducking your head.(2)
Your stance remains the same, just your back left foot moves anti-clockwise across behind you, so that you end up angled to them as they close.
A note of the weight shift:
You have pressed your weight somewhat from the rear to front foot to allow for a 45 degree spin or pivot on that front foot, make sure that you don’t leave all the weight on that foot, be sure to return some of the weight back to the rear foot to return your stance to normal or you will be left compromised balance-wise, and also your hand strike counters will lack power if that is what you choose to follow up with.
Pivot right or left?
Which way you pivot (right or left will) be dependant on your situation and how this guy is charging or swinging at you, but ideally for most people the choice of direction will be to try and end up outside the attacker’s guard for safer countering options and/or evasion.
If nothing else, just have a plan that you pivot in one direction only and practice it. At least you’ll be less likely to be easily backed against the wall, you’ll just have to now adapt your fight to whatever comes next.
Balanced practice:
As always, practice this in the opposite configuration of footing that you have the skill in either orientation.
Notes:
0 - You are feeling and acting on the information while your foot is at the most extended position. If you continue to back up before pivoting , you may have very little space left to counter.
1 - If you pivot over 45 degrees, 90 or so, you’ll still be side on to them as their movement goes past you.
45 is the minimum though to get you out of the way of the punches and offer counter possibilities. Steeping off with the lead foot in various directions and then pivoting on it will give more space again for evasion.
2 - If you duck your head as you pivot, this will lessen the chance of you eating a hook punch as you rotate outward to the safer position you’re seeking.