To the uninitiated, the combative arts can be quite confusing. There
is a seemingly endless array of styles, systems and methods, and
each pushes its own philosophy and perspective. Some prefer kicks,
while others advocate hand strikes. Still others like to throw,
grapple or use weapons. Many appear astoundingly complex and bewildering,
while a few seem almost simplistic.
Take boxing, for example. On the surface, it appears
to be a simple endeavor. Pugilists learn the jab, uppercut, hook
and cross, and are
basically thrown in the ring to figure out how to use them. Yet when
you delve more deeply into the art, you find incredible variations
on the theme. Beyond the basics, boxers learn about feinting, drawing,
clinching and a host of other subtleties that escape the casual viewer.
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| Direct attack: Send a simple finger jab into the eyes. |
If the two-limbed sport of boxing is so complex,
what about the martial arts, which use all four limbs to attack and
defend? With their seemingly
endless array of armed and unarmed techniques and tactics, how
can you document and categorize everything? How can you understand
the
meaning a particular move has in the overall scheme of things?
It is possible to categorize all techniques and
understand their application, although probably not the way you think.
Learning
every single technique
is not the idea; rather, you need a conceptual method for unifying
everything into a single set of parameters you can understand. In Dynamic Combat, that concept is the "eight ways of attack and
defense." It scientifically classifies each style's approach
to fighting and presents a structure with which even the novice
can understand
how a particular technique or tactic fits into the landscape. The
eight ways were not meant to be a line-by-line description of all
martial
arts techniques but a categorization of the eight methods by which
an art approaches combat from a technical standpoint.
By understanding the concepts behind each method
of attack, you can transcend the need to learn scores of individual
techniques
from
each category. Studying the theory behind the eight ways encourages
you
to see the big picture and promotes a blanket understanding of
the structure of all martial arts.
This "concepts before technique" approach is a mainstay of
Dynamic Combat because of the far-reaching ramifications for the student.
To para-phrase Confucius, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him
for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a life- time." Teaching
the "why" before the "how" encourages students
to think for themselves instead of learning endless techniques
by rote. Martial artists who view things as concepts retain the
knowledge better
and can apply it more efficiently in the real world.
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| Indirect attack: Feint low with a kick (1), then come in high
with a punch (2). |
Origin of the Eight Ways Early in the development of Dynamic Combat, I
realized that no single method or system had all the answers. I still
believe
that's true
even of my own art. No one knows everything, but it doesn't mean
you can't
acquire a vast knowledge base with an open-minded approach to
learning. Bruce Lee once said that you should use all ways as
a means to
the end, and I agree. Knowledge is power, and totality of knowledge
encourages
reality of application. People are fundamentally unpredictable,
as is the spectrum of hostile situations in which you might find
yourself
To deal with an infinite number of situations, you need a wide
variety of response options.
While I was growing up and studying the works
of various experts, I became fascinated with Lee's attempt to define
his methods
under the
heading of the "five ways of attack." I thought it
was a brilliant idea and decided to take the same approach with
Dynamic Combat.
I tried to objectively classify every technique I could. First
there were 12 categories, then there were 10. Finally, I reduced
it to the
following eight:
Direct Attacks
If the eight ways of attack were a deck of cards,
the direct attack would be the king of clubs. It comprises all simple
attacking actions
that make no attempt to disguise their intentions. It is
the
most used approach in fighting, either by itself or in combination
with
the other
ways.
Its beauty lies in its simplicity. By definition,
it is the most fundamental method of fighting. In fact, it is entirely
possible
(and often preferred)
to start and end a fight with a series of simple direct attacks.
The first premise of the direct attack is that you take no
detours in its execution. What you see is what you get. If
you do it
right, your opponent will never see it until it's too late.
Indirect Attacks
The indirect attack is the opposite of the direct
attack. On a technical level, it encompasses the use of all fakes
and
feints designed to
cloak your real intentions from your opponent. From a cerebral
perspective, the indirect attack focuses on the creation
of "physical lies" that
you tell your opponent. Therefore, it is any technique or
tactic whose primary function is deception.
 |
 |
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| Trapping attack. Temporarily immobilize the arms (1) to open
the door to a head strike (2). |
Grappling attack: Control the neck (1) while you deliver a
strike to the face (2). |
Balance attack: Drop to grab the ankle (1), then lift the leg
to take him down (2). |
Trapping Attacks Conceptually speaking, trapping is any technique
designed to temporarily check and control an opponent's limbs or
defenses. In application,
that often takes the form of attacks on the opponent's
guard. The thing that separates trapping from the other methods
is
the "temporary" part.
The concept is to somehow beat, suppress or momentarily
pin an opponent so that, just for an instant, you can attack
and he cannot. Trapping
techniques make no at tempt to manipulate an opponent in
anything other than a superficial fashion. They are designed
only to pave the way
for other actions.
Grappling Attacks
Grappling attacks comprise all
types of locks, joint breaks, strangulations and control holds.
The concept is to secure,
smother, damage, manipulate
or control your opponent through direct physical contact
and manipulation. Grappling differs from trapping in
its level
of commitment. Whereas
trapping is seldom an end in itself, grappling may
be.
Balance Attacks
A balance attack is the purposeful
disruption of an opponent's position, composure or stability. It
is
any technique
designed to force or
manipulate him out of an effective fighting position.
Balance attacks can include
techniques that sweep, throw, push, pull, take
an opponent down or remove him from his feet in any way.
Angular Attacks
An angular attack is any technique
that is delivered "off centerline" or
from an unexpected plane of delivery. The concept
is to utilize unorthodox lines of engagement in an attempt to bypass
an adversary's normal line
of defense. In other words, attack where he
least expects it.
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| Angular attack. Squat to deliver a punch from an unexpected
angle (1-2). |
Drawing Attacks
Drawing is the art of counter fighting.
It is the old bait-and-switch concept: You entice
an opponent
(draw
him out) to commit
to an offensive action, then lower the
boom with an unexpected or timed
counter.
This category encompasses all techniques
and strategies designed to lure
an opponent into a trap, often by feigning
vulnerability or
exposure.
Compound Attacks
The final category is the compound
attack. In the most basic sense, it is two or
more of the
other
seven methods
deployed
in a single
engagement without hesitation or pause.
However, it is more than just a combination
of attacks thrown together. Whereas
the other
seven ways define single and separate
methods, a compound
attack
demands the
ability to unify
the methods. Its utilization indicates
mastery of the eight ways. Moreover,
the ability
to use the
compound
attack
denotes an ability
to create
a synergy of force and action.
 |
| Drawing attack: Face the opponent (1), offer him a target (2)
and let him commit to his attack (3), then counter (4). |
Applying
the Eight Ways
Some of the eight ways of attack combine
easily with others. For instance,
grappling works
well with balance
attacks,
trapping is
readily combined
with grappling, and direct and
indirect attacks can frequently function harmoniously.
Herein
lies the
highest level
of martial skill and
the ultimate goal of Dynamic Combat:
the ability to move fluidly from
one method of attack to another based on
the actions of your opponent or
changes in
the environment.
Some systems utilize
only a few of the eight ways of attack. Take
boxing
and
judo, for
example. Boxing
has
direct, indirect,
drawing
and angular
attacks, but no trapping, grappling
or balance attacks. Judo is composed
primarily
of grappling
and balance
attacks. It
focuses on two of
the eight ways (three if you
count compound attacks). Certainly, some
may
argue that judo involves more
of the eight ways and that within
its techniques
you
can find direct,
indirect,
drawing and angular
attacks.
In a sense this is true, but
it misses the point entirely. The
techniques
of judo certainly
can
be applied in
such
a manner, but
only within
the structure and confines of
grappling and balance attacks. Remember that
the idea of
the eight
ways is to classify
techniques and systems
using a conceptual approach,
not to get lost in the semantics of
which has what
and where.
Big Picture
In no way is this discussion
meant to imply that one art
is inferior
to another
because
it doesn't
encompass
all
of the
eight ways.
You should view it as you
would the practice of medicine: Some
doctors
are general practitioners,
while others are specialists. All have
intrinsic
value and
deserve respect
for their ability, point
of view and approach.
That being said, some arts
do offer a more complete
picture of reality.
Ed
Parker's
kenpo, Tony Blauer's
chu fen
do and Bruce
Lee's jeet
kune do are at the top of
a short
list. Other arts teach most
of the eight
ways, but they restrict themselves
to very limited applications.
For example, wing
chun kung fu
has grappling techniques,
but they manifest
themselves only in wrist
grabs and neck
hooks used to supplement
striking attacks.
The greatest
value in developing your understanding of the
eight ways of
attack lies in the
resulting increase in your
ability
to see the
gaps in your training and
fill them, thereby creating
a more
complete approach to combat.
If this treatise
provides
you
with food for
thought about your own
training, if it spurs you to expand
your horizons
or look at the arts more
objectively and with greater
clarity, it
will have done its job.
Combat Caveat The "eight ways of attack" provide
a means to understand, classify and define the techniques
and tactics of the martial
arts. That may be a bold statement, but it is important to
view the eight ways conceptually. For example, when I say "direct attack," I
don't necessarily mean it to be a list of every single striking
action
ever conceived
or to limit it to only striking techniques (although they
are certainly the meat of the category). Rather, direct attack
refers
to the idea of a simple, straightforward, offensive action
that makes no attempt to hide its intentions. A direct attack
need
not even be a single action; it can be several actions linked
together in a combination with directness and lack of pretense
as the dominant theme. It is also important to note that
the eight ways of attack are more correctly described as
the "eight ways of attack and
defense." To be complete, you must acquire not only
offensive abilities in each of the eight ways, but also learn
to utilize
each method defensively.
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About the author: Richard Ryan is the founder of
Dynamic Combat™ and the designer of the Tactical Defense Training™ system
for law enforcement. He has more than 30 years of experience in martial
arts, combative firearms and weapons training. For more information,
call (800) 945-4387.
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