4D Bob Breen

4D seminar 19.11.17

Main theme of seminar was focus on few techniques but finding them in all ranges of combat, all the time. (striking, weapons, grappling and being aware of multiple opponents)

To sum up: Backsweeps and arm bar/wrench

Stand up application (Off jab and lead hook feed):

Tips: move off line, stay off the 12O'clock, "be near yet far/Breen lean", stand tall keep eye's up during some of the movements to be aware of multiple opponents.

1) Catch jab, block hook with blade of arm and simultaneously cover their rear hand with your lead hand (sensitivity will then allow you to do other things e.g. finger locks if they appear). Lean in with head on their face/neck. Blocking arm slides into tight over-arm arm bar (roll shoulder in and lock in tight). Step forward with rear leg and drive forward. as you do wrench the arm to bring their head fwd and down a bit. Pivot on your lead foot so facing same direction as your partner (as you pivot let go with the arm you wrenched with and cup the back of their skull, using your index finger and the bone at the base of that finger to help with the weep), step back 45 with your other foot and then sweep using foot you just pivoted on.(push with hand as well to help). Finish with knee to head (suck on knee!) and step through to other leg for trip and stamp.

2) As above but when you go to do the arm wrench they manage to slip the grip. AS the arm comes round  you grab the wrist with your free hand, stretching them out across their body and go into a 2 on 1 (pull the elbow against your chest  and drive forward to "break" it and your free hand can either cup back of head or go under the arm for a thumb in eye/uppercut as you do arm bar). Step forward as you do this and then backsweep as above.

3) After hook block use your blocking hand to scoop to hook round (across their body) and then go into a 2 on 1. Important to drive forward when you do this (when Bob did it I thought I was going to loose my arm!). then the arm bar and backsweep which is the same as above.

Grappling/Pummelling: armbars and sweeps:

1) from 50/50 pummeling - when one of your arms is in overarm position, drive your head into partners neck/head, step forward and hook arm (as per arm wrench described above) from here carry on as described above (no1 striking section) - Step forward with rear leg and drive forward. as you do wrench the arm to bring their head fwd and down a bit. Pivot on your lead foot so facing same direction as your partner (as you pivot let go with the arm you wrenched with and cup the back of their skull, using your index finger and the bone at the base of that finger to help with the weep), step back 45 with your other foot and then sweep using foot you just pivoted on.(push with hand as well to help). Finish with knee to head (suck on knee!) and step through to other leg for trip and stamp.

2) If the over arm doesn't hold there arm will come infront of them. when that happens, while leaning into them, grab arm and do alternate version (No 2 from striking section) - AS the arm comes round  you grab the wrist with your free hand, stretching them out across their body and go into a 2 on 1 (pull the elbow against your chest  and drive forward to "break" it and your free hand can either cup back of head or go under the arm for a thumb in eye/uppercut as you do arm bar). Step forward as you do this and then backsweep as above.

Single Stick:

Hubud (tips - brush hair motion when passing stick, keep the hand hitting stick motion tight, even when partner checks arm you can still hit hand/head if loose) - looked at different checking grips - on elbow (palm down), pushing elbow (palm up, elbow locked against body pushing with hips), and thumb grip  (slide down elbow)

Add Watiks to ribs, knee, back of head

1) Backsweep: During hubud (hitting stick part), hook wrist with punyo (pulling back with you stick and trying to get arm across their body) then drive forward with chest (stepping forward as you do) then either cup back of head or thumb in eye, pivot on lead foot, step back 45 and sweep (as above)

2) Armpit armbar: after hitting stick part of Hubud, hook wrist with punyo and use free hand to punch head making sure your turn it away (stepping forward as you so) reach your punching arm over the top of their arm, and then use that arm to cup partners had (this will put your arm pit directly on their elbow). keep arm tight and don't lift arm, out pull it using your hand as if you are pointing away at something. scoop your stick hand under their arm so their wrist is in the crook of elbow. lift that arm up as you push down with other arm (keep armpit arm flat against you. To take down you would just drop. but in the drill step forward put one knee on the ground and drop into a scarf hold on their arm. Make sure their arm is out near head height as  the lower it is the more they could escape.

3)Disarm armbar: during hubud you grab the thumb and try to disarm. It doesn't work. hit head with stick (horizontal to turn head), then stab at head ot keep their head turned. as you du this you put the arm you are holding into and underhook, rest the stick on top of their arm (just above elbow) and then grab other side of the stick with your underhooking arm (palm down). Drag down (arm bar) as they come down you can then grab their head and spin them around into the round (Kali takedown can't remember what it is called).

Disarms:

1) Grab thumb from hubud. use blade of arm to push stick while pulling with other hand (push motion as if you are trying to hit partner in head with stick)

2) above strip doesn't work. use your stick hand to grab top of their stick, pull it down and use your free hand to cup their hand (trapping the punyo against their wrist) push forward and down (chest height) and they should be in a wrist lock (nikkiyo? No 8 of lock flow)

Knife:

Inside/outside line: Proactive partners in either grip (hammer/icepick) feeding angle 1's first then any angle important to move BEFORE the strike so you are positioning yourself first this will give you valuable time.

Knife strip - off angle one, pass the knife and grab into thumb control - strip doesn't work, grip wrist with knife and twist it and pull it into crook of your elbow (No 2 lock from lock flow). Step forward and elbow down onto their elbow.

Palasut cycle: Tips - edge on, knife stab straight down and hook in on first motion. Keep tight (I have explained this in more detail in one of my general blogs).

We incorporated arm bars from the flow: after the final stab down the clavicle feed, as your partner goes to parry the stab you pick up their arm by the wrist pulling it across their body and then you go into armbar as explained before - go into a 2 on 1 (pull the elbow against your chest  and drive forward to "break" it and your free hand can either cup back of head or go under the arm for a thumb in eye/uppercut as you do arm bar). Step forward as you do this and then backsweep as above.

In the middle of the flow after you cut their arm when they try to stab you in the head you can go into arm pit arm bar -  cut up the arm, punch head to turn it, hook their wrist with your knife (pull it away so as to not stab yourself. then reach over and to the arm pit armbar as described before.

From the same point you can also go into the backsweep: after you cut their arm when they try to stab you in the head -   hook the arm with your knife drive forward with your chest on thei elbow and either cup back of their head or thumb in eye motion (while stepping forward) then pivot on lead foot, step back 45 and sweep with finish.

Play time:

We then tried to use everything we learned from hubud with knives, disarms, empty hand hubud into pummelling into armbars and sweeps (needs a lot of work but you start finding this from everywhere!)



4D seminar: 23.6.18

Single Stick master class.

As with the previous seminar we took a few techniques and we focused on functionalising them and finding them "everywhere". far more important that the technique were the principles and mindset/approach to these drills and how they feed into sparring which allows you to  manage the chaos more effectively. As Bob said, the ideas are very simple but the application is not easy and the application is deep and varied.

Single stick:

All exercises were a development from the 3 count Box pattern:

A) A1
B) Roof block (keep checking hand behind stick, hide behind hand holding the stick)
A) A1
B) inside sweep (move around the stick and use other hand to reinforce the inside sweep before checking the hand)
A) A4
B) drop stick (keep your stick hand as far back as you can - on hip- and point the stick down hill so your hand is up and more difficult to hit)

Key points (probably most important thing in the seminar)

Be the hunter not the hunted... this means forward intent, focus on the target your are trying to hit/down the centre (not the flailing limbs/stick), be like Jon Wick... keep your sick pointing at your opponent, hide behind your hand, move around the stick not the stick around you, keep replies tight not wide and make your replies instant.... I found that trying to apply these things really put pressure on your partner but also ha a slight effect on the "flow of the drill" there were lots of little pauses as you and your opponent adjusted... however I am sure that is just form getting familiar with the slight adaptation to a drill we have done before.

Variations to flow:

Off A4:

1) your checking hand controls wrist as you do the drop stick.. stopping the motion and this jams up your partner

Strip: after drop stick use puno to hit hand and point of stick to stab towards eye then using only a couple of finger lift wrist up and you use forearm to push stick down.

2) checking hand drops down on top of hand and your stick drops down. add a slight pull towards you to off set them

3) checking hand passes their stick hand (back of hand forearm pushes down on back of their wrist/forearm and whips It away to open them up and offset them.

Strip: use whipping passing motion to wrap your hand around their stick holding wrist and strip with your forearm.

Drill to help the passing motion:

Off A3 -  pass the arm, catch it at the elbow and posting on the arm to force it down and around, move your lead foot back as you do this, then wedge their arm, replace lead foot as you do this for fwd pressure. As they try to reply with A4, whip the arm away using the back of your hand/forearm and again move lead foot out the way - repeat flow.

Strip off A1:

inside sweep, checking hand rests on stick and pulls point down, punch the hand holding the stick (thumb up like straight blast) to rip stick away. as you strip stick step away and over your face with elbow to protect form any follow up punches


Box pattern free flow:

do standard box pattern but add an outside deflection (cat stance and A2 type hit) not the mix this helps you come out of the drill and adds and element of randomness. again focus on the key principles focus on target not following the stick.

Manipulation partner:

Off A1

1) Roof Block and carry on fwd to hit head, pass stick and cut/hit (controlling near elbow) moving feet out the way and switching leads to step off left 45, control their stick arm with your stick above the elbow (thumb down) and pivot so facing same way as partner, move backwards while stabbing above head and under armpit, as they try A2/3 whip arm away using back of  forearm then step off right 45 and pivot so facing same way as partner then follow up with hits to elbow and knees (X pattern) as they reply with A 1 start flow again.

2) Inside sweep followed bu upwards X to jaw.. then into flow above.

3) Cabiata (punch through stick to hit head... then into flow (or can go into  a strip from here)

Sparring tips:

All about range - long range target their hand (use fishing casting motion) -  jut it straight down centre and you will hit their hand especially when they are doing A1 and A2

Crash in (usually on a back hand hit) hide behind the stick other hand supporting the stick and jam their stick against their own body.

When crashing keep hitting down the centre hitting head/hands, as they push away come away and grip with stick with a few fingers to "feel" the pressure/movement (and if they try to lock you up there is nothing to lock).. keep hitting their hand, as they try to pull back follow the motion and jam the stick against their body and hit head/other hand... to exit use the partner manipulation described above (step off 45/pivot etc)


4D seminar: 22.6.19

knife master class

session was based around the highest percentage knife attach in real life (the straight thrust/stab to the heart.

Key concepts:

Breen lean (near yet far), using  straight rear leg to bounce in and out (draw), body at an angle (at least 45) to keep heart away and limit target, and keep lead hand in front to intercept attack earlier/narrow their angle and be a barrier against the attack/redirect it with minimal movement. House and boat concepts of strong structures.

Basic movement:

using either hand to cut the attackers arms with blade or forearm, trying not to cut across too much or you give an angle to be countered. instead cut arm and slide up it to redirect them and drive towards their elbow. (bouncing back on each of their thrusts and you redirect with your blade arm). you can also step of slightly to get your rear arm against their knife forearm and you throat hit with your lead hand.

Drills:

attacker stabs, you redirect with lead blade arm (use the bounce back motion to almost "pull them forward") - then bounce straight back to touch their head/hit them. this also doubles as a block if they then try to come around your arm and try to cut your neck/stab your head. (if they come rearly fast with follow up stab/cut stay back and try to keep connection with lead arem to whip it away - keep it going in the direction of travel) then insert your rear hand and use lead hand to hit throat/attack.

off this set up will drilled a variety of strips including a follow up hit with other arm then on me not in me into strip/return the knife

the same motion was then moved into a wrist lock (cutting wrist to drag them into head butt) or cupping hand and normal to strip 4 ways:

strip to feed back into their chest
Strip down to cut arm then into chicken wing and cut head off hallal)
strip down hard to break wrist and then go into the above
strip towards rear 3rd leg and tie up their arm under your (nasty arms lock/break including stabbing)

Strip tips: keep elbow down, and everything facing forward (john wick) - push then pull

Same locks off of rear hand cutting the knife attacking arm (but to grab wrist you need to fold the arm back to grab it so your elbow and forearm are "trapping" their arm, then lifting their writs in front of your face (create a slight angle off line as you do this) you can use your stripping arm elbow to defend any punches.