574 - (FREE TO READ) Training Diary: Slap entries for pre-emption
Online training: Ideas on combing open hand strikes with punches and bone strikes.
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Slap entries for pre-emption
On pre-emptive striking
As always with the concept of pre-emption, while it is currently a right under the law in the UK, it must be used carefully, and with prior consideration to your personal training goals unlike how some might have you believe.
The following is presented here as a pre-emptive solution for consideration rather than as a finite solution for all situations.
Set up
Foot stance – your feet are parallel with each other and still in an unprepared interview position while being encroached upon by an aggressor who is now very close, within arms length.
In other words, you’ve been caught out!
Your hands are up in a manner congruent to someone being threatened - not in a fighting stance!
Left slap then right hook (adapted 3 - 4)
Here I will suggest an initial left hooking slap but the sequence will need to be trained and practiced both sides until ingrained.
Now, the slap is better as a power strike from the rear, which is why everyone likes to demo it that way for maximum Hollywood youtube appeal admittedly, but here it has the bonus as an initiation movement of only really needing to be hard enough to turn the head somewhat and/or take the vision momentarily until the next (power) punches land.
This also has an advantage of getting past jitters in striking as the slap is easier to pull off under adrenal effects and somewhat less likely to cause a hand/wrist injury like punching.
Twist hard towards your right and throw the left hand in a tight arc roughly towards the right side of their jaw. If your fingers travel across their eyes, that’s a bonus.
The slap can be trained as an “on button” for aggressive punching, in other words, as soon as you slap, there’s no need for inner debate - your fighting and it’s on!
Video
I really dislike the ethos of slap competitions, which are now big bucks UFC business, as it is a completely passive mindset to stand there and show that you can “take it” (maybe that’s the sub-plot here?).
Rather we are concerned with survival and thus are only interested in not being there at all or if we are, making sure they never even get to the slap part!
It’s also a one way ticket to brain damage.
So, please be clear that despite preparatory wind ups and also neck strength factors, I share these videos merely as testament to the potential power of slaps, to show them performed from a non-combat sport/ martial arts stance and also the effects that smaller people can produce:
Follow up straight away!
From here, you will immediately throw a high rear closed fist punch to their jaw with as much power as you can muster to try and spin their head.
The torque from the initial left slap will create a rear hook with the right hand and therefore load it more without a change in footwork being needed as the twist of your body will supply this.
Use proper rear hook punch mechanics for power, this is not just swinging!
Some may have concern (lose sleep or even take to message boards!) over the telegraphing of the rear hook as a strike, so the slap can be used to disguise this as the target will be reacting/recovering to that while the hook is already inbound or landing!
Other left slap follow ups:
Practice this sequence as before but changing the right hook for:
- A cross punch
- An uppercut – these are really risky because of teeth injuries potentially to your hand as well as being less dependable without serious training – I’ve heard anecdotally of people saying that the uppercut is their go to pre-emptive strike but it needs specific set ups for it to work that may not be congruent or easily created with the types of situational threats that average people face.
- Hooking forearm strike to the neck using the radial bone. This might be a good option to try as it needs only to connect part of the length of bone to their neck to be a heavy strike.
- If they have a large height/size disparity with you, after the slap, step in a perform a hooking right elbow power shot to their chest, thus creating space to shove the and run.