Someone charging you...

[mouko_yamamoto]

What would you do If someone was charging at you like they're gonna tackle you? If you move to the side too early, they can easily change direction. Too late, they stick you, or put their arm out to slam you. You kick them, they are still gonna fall into you.

 

So, what would you do?

[WhiteShark]

Depends.

 

And frankly that's always the answer unless you give a lot of detail. For example, Is he a known Wrestler or Football player? Is he staying really low or mostly upright? How much does he weigh compared to you? What's he wearing? Does he have a weapon? What rules are you fighting under?

[mouko_yamamoto]

No rules. No weapon. Same weight (maybe off 5 pounds). For the most part upright.

[delta1]

What would you do If someone was charging at you like they're gonna tackle you? If you move to the side too early, they can easily change direction. Too late, they stick you, or put their arm out to slam you. You kick them, they are still gonna fall into you. So, what would you do?

 

Most defenses against a charge or tackle involve moving to the side, out of the path of his energy. And timeing is important. Depending on how he attacks, your relative positioning, preferences, the phase of the moon (), etc., you can handle the attack any number of ways. Trap and break an arm, pass him and strike as he goes by, trip him, guide him into something solid. It might be entertaining to help him into someone else who is bigger, uglier and meaner than he is, then watch the fun !

 

If you can't step aside for some reason you can still handle the attack head on. If he's high, employ some kind of stop hit, then attack his center. If low, a wrestling cross face and sprawl may work. If you can step back and draw him into position, you may be able to use his momentum to enhance a strike without having him fall or plow into you. Again, depends on the variables.

 

Your style should have some defences against this kind of attack. If not, look into American Kenpo or some other style that does. Maybe work out with a Kenpoist so you can get some ideas, and get a grasp on the principles involved. I'd bet your style has some similar moves you could work into your own techniques.

[Guy_Who_Fights]

I never thought I'd relate martial art to bull-fighting, but here it is... You know those clown that dodge bulls to keep them occupied while a fallen rider gets away? They actually have a very simple but effect strategy to what they do (I refer more to the guys who dodge bulls so well that they have their own show at the rodeo almost). It is easy to move too early so that this guy charging you will still be able to reach out and grab you or change his direction altogether and still tackle you. What the bull-dodgers do is, at the point where the bull is close but it is still barely too early to dodge, they lunge to the side as though they were going to dodge to that side. If they go to the left, the arms and left leg go to that side while the right leg stays put. They really make it look like they are running in that direction, when the left leg lands they bend it a lot and lean the body over it. Buy this time the bull/guy should be slightly changing his angle and reaching to that side to get you while you are running in this new direction. They dodgers then spring off of that left leg with all the force they can muster, snapping their upper body as well, and take a huge lunge to the right (both legs go). Remember suicide sprints in gyme class? Run to this line, then run back, then run to the next line, then run back, etc. Well when you reached down to touch those lines, if you utilized all of the elastic energy that that bending stored in your muscles, you were able to spring back up from toucheing that line and really take off in the other direction at a high speed. It is the same thing without touching the ground. Fake going to one side and spring off to the other. Granted this does not lead into and arm bars or anything, but if the guy is trying to tackle you, there is a good chance he will fall over without you even touching him and then get made fun of until he developes a complex. Practice this about a dozen times on each side and you will probably have the idea very well. The feign to the one side has to be very big though, not at all subtle and small in it's movement. If you have a lot of experience you can go for locks and takedowns, but if you have not been training for years and years, you will accomplish your goals with minimum risk to yourself using this method. Good luck.

[delta1]

I just have to be the first to say it- 'That's a lot off bull!'

[delta1]

...if you have not been training for years and years, you will accomplish your goals with minimum risk to yourself using this method. Good luck.

 

I'm back, and have more time to answer the post.

 

I doubt this would work on a person, especially if you are inexperienced. First off, feinting requires very good timeing, which comes with exprience. Next, it seems likely that in jumping back again you would more than likely jump into the path of the charge you just dodged. Also, this approach would only be good for a charge that originated from relatively far away. Most attacks occur at closer ranges. And leaving a leg out exposes it to both intentional and unintentional dammage. Most of all, though, even if you succede, all you've done is to avoid his attack. You havn't controled him, caused pain or dammage, or even gained position on him.

 

Personally, I prefer the "Look Scared, Dive into a Barrel" technique. More natural, very effective, and requires less practice. And the smell comeing out of the barrel is a good deterrent!

[Warp Spider]

Well, assuming you can't outrun the person until they get tired of charging, and counter-attacking isn't an option, I'd say the best way is to dart to one side and toward the person when they get close. If you're moving towards them the distance will be closed faster giving them a smaller window to reach out and grab you.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

It's difficult to explain, but see if you can find a shorinryu sensei near you and ask him to give you a quidck demo of (various names for it) body shifting, change of body, or body change. he should know waht it means. It takes practice, but I've used in in real fights and sparring, and I think it's a wonderful technique for people who charge you.

[delta1]

Shorinryu Sensei, sounds intriguing. Is body shifting anything like emptying part of your body, or yielding, while filling or loading another? Or is it more like riding the force of an attack to enhance your counter? I hope you are familiar with these terms- if not, I apologise. But, as you said, they are a little difficult to really understand without experiencing them.