Categorizing fighting methods

[scottnshelly]

As I’ve stated on another post or two on this forum, I’ve taken the last four years off of physical training and attending a dojo to contemplate what I had been learning and ways of improving it. I want to post some ideas that I’ve come up with to see if anyone else agrees, disagrees or can add or change something.

 

From what I’ve gathered from 14 yrs 11 months of training and reading you can pretty much summarize all hand-to-hand combat into four general categories: boxing, aggressive fighting, defensive fighting and ground fighting. Allow me elaborate on these.

 

By boxing, I don’t mean the boxing that you see on tv, but something close – standing toe-to-toe throwing jabs and short low kicks.

 

By aggressive fighting I mean like you might see in a tournament where the exponent is constantly moving forward. For every step the opponent takes back, you take two forward.

 

By defensive fighting I mean working your way backwards – at angles and all of course. This is usually characterized by retreats and kicking while retreating.

 

By ground fighting I mean…well, I’m sure you all know what I mean.

 

Am I completely off base trying to categorize like this, or are there more categories that I’ve missed?

 

Also, I think that the best defense to someone fighting in ‘boxing’ method would be ground fighting and the best defense against a ground fighter would be ‘boxing’. The same goes for the aggressive type and defense type.

 

Thanks in advance for your support and help.

[vertigo]

I will throw my very limited (self admitted ) opinion out, even though it is very short.

 

I don't think those catagories off, I'd tend to think that any style of fighting can (one way or the other) fall underneath one of those four.

 

However, I don't necessarily see defensive fighting as moving backwards; I see it as meaning, waiting for your shot, waiting for your opponent to get TOO aggressive and make a mistake: and you'll be ready to make them pay for it.

[ovine king]

you can't catogorize.

 

trying to do so will lead to overly short-sighted views on things. in short, to do so is to make a very big pile of *.

 

the most obvious reason is because most styles feature all aspects. you learn when to retreat and when to advance. you learn when to stay on your feet and when to take down.

 

the fight and the fighter dictates what happens, not the style. therefore you can't catogorize styles, only the way people fight/apply the style.

[SevenStar]

As I’ve stated on another post or two on this forum, I’ve taken the last four years off of physical training and attending a dojo to contemplate what I had been learning and ways of improving it. I want to post some ideas that I’ve come up with to see if anyone else agrees, disagrees or can add or change something.

 

From what I’ve gathered from 14 yrs 11 months of training and reading you can pretty much summarize all hand-to-hand combat into four general categories: boxing, aggressive fighting, defensive fighting and ground fighting. Allow me elaborate on these.

 

By boxing, I don’t mean the boxing that you see on tv, but something close – standing toe-to-toe throwing jabs and short low kicks.

 

By aggressive fighting I mean like you might see in a tournament where the exponent is constantly moving forward. For every step the opponent takes back, you take two forward.

 

By defensive fighting I mean working your way backwards – at angles and all of course. This is usually characterized by retreats and kicking while retreating.

 

By ground fighting I mean…well, I’m sure you all know what I mean.

 

Am I completely off base trying to categorize like this, or are there more categories that I’ve missed?

 

This is really nothing new. boxers and kicboxers have been categorizing fighters for years. It's not dependent on the martial art style, but on the boxers fighting style - agressive, mixed, tricky, counterfighter... each has it's own unique attributes, pros and cons. knowing the fighters fighting style helps you to determine the types of tactics you will use against them.

Also, I think that the best defense to someone fighting in ‘boxing’ method would be ground fighting and the best defense against a ground fighter would be ‘boxing’. The same goes for the aggressive type and defense type.

 

this part is not as cut and dry as you make it seem. for example, the boxer may prefer to stand against the grappler, BUT, the boxer must be familiar enough with grappling to keep himself on his feet...in actuality, the best against a grappler, would be a mix of striking and grappling, as without grappling knowledge, he likely will not stay on his feet long.

 

You haven't trained at all over the past four years? What all did you come up with?

[SevenStar]

double post. they really should let us delete our own posts...

[P.A.L]

i divide it in two, 1- run to the opponent 2- run from the opponent.

[scottnshelly]

Thanks to everyone for thier input thus far.

 

Ovine King:

 

i'm not sure exactley how to respond. I don't know if i didn't make myself clear enough in the original post. I didn't say that everyone should restrict themselves to just one of these categories. I was saying that these are the four major basic general vague categories. I wasn't trying to say that every style can fit into only one of these, either. If you can come up with a different category of fighting that i left out, please feel free to add.

 

SevenStar:

 

Thanks for the information. I hope i didn't sound like i was claiming that i was the first one to ever try categorizing - it's human nature.

 

"knowing the fighters fighting style helps you to determine the types of tactics you will use against them."

 

this is exactly what i was trying to say, if you know the categories and know what the opponent is used to, you can have a better idea of how to defend.

 

"You haven't trained at all over the past four years? What all did you come up with?"

 

yea, i got on the evening shift four years ago and wasn't able to make it to any classes. until i can get on the day time i probably won't be able to. i still work out, i haven't gone completely to pot; i just don't go to any dojos. i've been doing a lot of reading on styles that i was never previously exposed to when i spent all my time learning about Tae Kwon Do and Kenpo. i'm currently reading a book called "Ultimate Dim Mak: how to fight a grappler and win" By Erle Montaigue.

 

Thanks again, i look forward to more input.

[ovine king]

double post. they really should let us delete our own posts...

 

yep. i agree.

 

i've seen some sites where they allow you to delete your own posts as well as the ability to ignore other members at the click of a button. that way, if there are members who really do annoy you, you can then simply ignore them. if you don't and still respond to their posts, which you choose not to ignore, thatn that just means you're after arguments.

 

anyway, back to the thread.

 

so if this isn't a fixed way for categorising and not all styles will fit into a category, why do it? you use the words "vague" and "general" and that is my point. it IS vague and it IS general. if nothing is ever going to fit into them perfectly, then doesn't that render it pointless?

[scottnshelly]

so if this isn't a fixed way for categorising and not all styles will fit into a category, why do it? you use the words "vague" and "general" and that is my point. it IS vague and it IS general. if nothing is ever going to fit into them perfectly, then doesn't that render it pointless?

 

I don't know, i guess it's human nature to categorize. I didn't set out with the purpose of doing this, i just got to thinking about the different methods of fighting and figured that they could all fit into these.

 

The other question i have is, should weapons fit into a whole nother category, or would it still fit within these four except holding a weapon?

[SevenStar]

the same sub-categories would apply, but I would keep weapons separate from empty hand.