Knowing when and where the bout will take place and what the rules are being used enables the sport fighter to tailor his training to the environment. He can focus on tactics and techniques for dealing with a single opponent, and can bring his fitness to a peak at the right time. He may even be able to tailor his training to give him an advantage over a known opponent or to give the judges what they are looking for in order to win on a decision.
Conversely, when training more generally or for self-defense, we do not know when (or even if) a fight will occur. We cannot predict where it will be, nor who against. Numbers and weapons may play a part. Training must be tailored to dealing with an unpredictable situation and should include some common-sense conflict-avoidance or conflict-management skills to avoid unnecessary fights.
When using focus pads to train low kicks, it is important to brace the pad against your leg. Even so, it is not really possible to take a pull-power kick on the pad, so this method is normally used for fairly light technical training.
Thai Pads are arguably a better option for all-round training, though they are more expensive than focus pads.
The single biggest difference between the “street” and the sporting arena is the uncertainty that prevails on the street. A sport fighter knows that his opponent has come to fight him. Someone confronted with an aggressive individual cannot know for sure whether the prospective opponent really wants a fight or is simply “posturing” for reasons that presumably make sense to him. This uncertainty can cause hesitation, and is exploited by those experienced in street violence.
A “street” aggressor may try to strike by surprise, perhaps by blindsiding the victim or by using deception to get close enough for a sudden assault. Innocuous sounding questions about the time or asking for a cigarette are common deceptions. Alternatively, a prospective assailant may test the waters by behaving aggressively, swearing, shouting, and pushing the victim. If he gets a response that makes him think he can win, he may escalate the level of violence. If he doesn’t like the response he may instead choose to back off.
It is worth noting that although the build-up is different, once a fight begins the same principles apply to both sport and street fighting. Good training will prepare the fighter for the fight environment and enable him to keep his head under stress, both during the build-up to a fight and during it. A fighter who can handle the physical shock of being hit but who is taken out of the game by his reaction will be defeated as surely as one who is simply knocked out.
In a “flash drill” the pad holder offers the fighter a variety of targets, forcing him to react quickly with an appropriate strike. The fighter must be ready for anything rather than falling into comfortable habits.
A kick shield can absorb a full-power kick, though this is not always a pleasant experience for whoever is holding it. It is tempting to hold the pad away from your body, but this can result in injury. Keep the shield in tight and just accept that training sometimes hurts.
In-fight stress can also cause fighters to abandon their training and resort to brute force or wild swings, or to fight in a predictable manner that is easy to deal with. A fighter who keeps his head can often see opportunities and read his opponent’s intentions. One who is badly rattled will miss obvious openings and let his opponent recover from mistakes instead of exploiting them.
This is a vital facet of all forms of fight training; the fighter must be properly prepared to not only perform techniques; he (or she) must also be able to keep a clear head and make quick decisions about what to do. It is this ability to function in the fight environment that separates an effective fighter from someone who can merely hit hard or perform good techniques.
In order that training can be realistic, focus pads should be used to provide a reasonable facsimile of a human target rather than simply being held up…
… that way strikes can be trained the same way they will be thrown in a fight.
Nobody’s head is three feet wide…
… so the pads should be kept together rather than being allowed to drift apart as the strikes come in.
The pad-holder needs to shift quickly and crisply as the striker runs through a combination…
… offering the right target at the right time.
Good pad-setting is something of an art form….
… and is as much a part of good training as throwing the strikes themselves.
The Psychological Dimension
One of history’s greatest generals commented that the “moral” (i.e. psychological) aspect was three times as important as the physical. He was talking about warfare, but the principles of personal combat are very similar. A relatively poor fighter who is willing to hold his ground and do his best will usually beat a half-hearted but more skilled opponent. Where the fighters are well matched, then psychological factors will usually decide the bout.
This fact has been known for centuries, and is understood on an instinctive level by most people. Generally speaking, many “street” aggressors will use threats and minor physical violence like grabbing and pushing to try to achieve dominance over their opponent. Some sport fighters do much the same thing with pre-fight intimidation, displays of prowess while entering the ring, trash talk to the cameras before the show, and so forth. In both cases, a fighter who is excessively fearful of the opponent will be dominated and has little chance of winning.
It is important that a fighter be trained to deal with these attempts to defeat him psychologically. Confidence is the best tool for countering intimidation, and this is built through good training. A fighter who is regularly tested and can meet the challenges put in front of him develops a habit of winning, and this confidence in his abilities will help him overcome the stress and uncertainty of the fight environment.
If a fighter is going to perform in front of an audience, then he needs to be prepared for this. He needs to be able to either forget about the onlookers and focus on his opponent, or to be able to accept that he is being watched and not become self-conscious. One way to achieve this is to train where outsiders can see from time to time, or to point out to the fighter that he is being watched while he trains whenever someone goes by. Familiarity with an audience can reduce the stress of fight night. So can being an inveterate show-off, but not every fighter has the sort of personality that relishes an audience.
“Stress inoculation” is a useful technique for training both self-defense and sport fighting. Scenario work is used by many self-defense trainers, and can benefit the sport fighter too. One common scenario is to restrict the fighter to responding only if the “aggressor”