Retreating Whilst Sparring

[sensei8]

Roundhouse with your back leg, land, pivot, reverse roundhouse/turning kick with your other leg (now your back leg). AKA my #1 spam move

That's one way, even though GM Young Ik Suh never taught that through and up to green belt.

Still, I like it!! Thanks for sharing that one with us.

[sensei8]

One more thing about retreating, if I may...

Retreating has it's pros and cons, and they'll differ from methodology and ideology, however, I believe that retreating also gives your opponent a wide variety of targets to launch an attack at. Why? It's hard to defend oneself when one's too busy to see, thus, block/deflect any attack; I've not eyes in the back of my head.

It's a risk, but not an ending risk if ones cognizant about ones surroundings.

[maisweh]

post a video of it, im not sure i understand. is your back turned until you throw a kick?

[bushido_man96]

I think its a good thing he's done for you. Your instructor is forcing you to change what you do, making you better.

As for the self-defense aspect, you don't really want to be retreating that much. Backing up makes it likely that you will trip and fall, which could be onto a side walk, onto glass, into mud, or into traffic, all of which are varying degrees of bad.

Remember that sparring in class to a set of rules can allow for a false sense of security to set in. You don't want to give up too much ground. Take ground, and make it your own. Think of your sparring like colonization; conquer land and keep it.

[sensei8]

post a video of it, im not sure i understand. is your back turned until you throw a kick?

For just a split second...no longer than necessary because you are turning away in order to draw your opponent towards you.

Take the jump spinning back kick...your back turns for just a split second. Now, one can draw the turn to last a little bit longer because you're trying to draw them IN/towards you.

Timing is everything!!

[Kuma]

You can still be evasive even without retreating.

The renown karateka Chotokyu Kyan (who had a huge influence on the founding of Shorin Ryu) was a small, slight male due to illness as a child. Because of his size he knew he couldn't stand and duke it out with bigger opponents, so his answer was working the angles. Kyan would practice with his back to the Higa river so if he did try to retreat he would fall in the water. He instead worked moving at angles to avoid his opponent's attacks and counterattack immediately.

To practice this on your own, try a modified version of the asterisk drill (*).

http://www.myfma.net/profiles/blogs/ranging-footwork-warmup-drill

Instead of the picture on the page, instead remove the red part (the reverse triangle) and only practice moving forward, laterally, or at the forward angles. Get comfortable doing it while shadowboxing, then apply it in sparring drills. Once you get the feel for it there, try it out in sparring.

[danbong]

Let's say you're in a normal fighting stance with your left leg in the front. As your opponent advances towards you, you step towards your right/inside and then turn 180 degrees away from your opponent, and this will appear that you're running away from your opponents advances...THEN...

Your left leg is NOW the rear leg and your right leg is now in the front...and at the end of your transitional step...POW...your deliver a right lead leg roundhouse kick to whatever target is availible, alas...

the step-turning roundhouse kick. It requires guile and timing to say the least.

Thank you Sensei8. I'm going to work on it and when it gets decent use it in sparring.

[sensei8]

Let's say you're in a normal fighting stance with your left leg in the front. As your opponent advances towards you, you step towards your right/inside and then turn 180 degrees away from your opponent, and this will appear that you're running away from your opponents advances...THEN...

Your left leg is NOW the rear leg and your right leg is now in the front...and at the end of your transitional step...POW...your deliver a right lead leg roundhouse kick to whatever target is availible, alas...

the step-turning roundhouse kick. It requires guile and timing to say the least.

Thank you Sensei8. I'm going to work on it and when it gets decent use it in sparring.

You're more than welcome...I hope it'll help you.

I'm still trying to find a video about this kick as it was taught to me by SGM Young Ik Suh, and just as soon as I find it, if I do, I'll post the link.

[AngelAriz]

Fight in a phone booth.

That is a strange concept but if you practice evasion by backing up you have to regain the lost ground.

Intercept intention and fight in a phone booth. Many people have no idea what to do in very close quarter/clinch range.

[DoctorQui]

Tactical retreating is vital imo, but being in perpetual retreat is to be avoided! Of course, only a fool continues to advance if a strong maegeri is on its way to your abdomen but in training not to retreat, you will develop and heighten your abilities to block and counter!

My own style is to bounce about on the balls of my feet, that way you can dart around and duck and dive as is required! Being rooted to the floor and advancing has its drawbacks!