Advanced Fighting Techniques

Before man had weapons to fight each with, we were relegated to using what nature provided us with --- particularly our hands and feet. Even with improved weaponry, the ability to fight well is still important to street fighters, martial artists, sportsmen and soldiers, among others. Centuries of learning how to fight have yielded several advanced fighting techniques beneficial to anyone in a tight spot. Mastery of these advanced techniques takes practice.

  1. One-Inch Punch

    • Bruce Lee pioneered the infamous one-inch punch as part of his jeet kune do method of fighting. When used efficiently without exerting extra effort, this devastating blow is a testimony to the mechanics of the human body. The technique is deeply rooted in the Chinese martial arts of gung fu, such as wing chun, but it is typically seen as a staple of Lee's style. The punch is done by standing with your feet shoulder length apart. The right knee is slightly bent while the left leg is straight at a slight angle with the heel on the floor. The fighter's arm is parallel to the floor and the wrist is limp. The punch is executed by rotating the hips, bending the back knee and lifting the heel off the floor, pivoting the front leg while leaning forward slightly and springing the wrist upwards to hit with the bottom three knuckles.

    Straight Arm-Bar from Knee Mount

    • The straight arm-bar from the knee mount technique is a ground fighting technique of the United States Army. The technique works from the knee mount position when an enemy is using his arm to push you away. Grasp the opponent's elbow with the arm nearest his head and step over his head with your leg. Sit down on his shoulder and fall backward while slightly twisting toward his legs into a straight arm-bar position.

    Feinting

    • Feinting is purposely deceiving your opponent into making a costly mistake. By luring them into a false sense of opening, he misinterprets your movements and consequently lets his guard down for your real attack. For example, feint by throwing out a fast open hand to one side of an opponent's head while quickly following up with a blow to his solar plexus.

    The Intercepting Fist

    • Force alone is not enough to guarantee a successful punch. Force multiplied by speed generates the power needed to win a match. The intercepting fist, also known as the straight or lead punch, is a technique pioneered by Bruce Lee for quickly firing a punch at your opponent. Similar to the mechanics of Lee's one-inch punch, the wrist remains limp and seemingly not ready for action. As the hand flies out from the guard or standard position, the executioner pivots his hips and feet while leaning forward, flinging up his wrist and tightening it into a fist just before making contact with the opponent.