In my last blog, I described key concepts to embrace in order to walk away from and survive any attack. Embracing the concepts are one thing, but you also need to ensure your training provides an environment that allows you to practice these concepts as much as possible.
One of the best ways to do this is to ensure you are practicing and training with a variety of partners with different strengths, heights, sizes, technical skill levels, and different intensity levels.
Every person attacks differently, so by practicing with a variety of partners it will help you experience the randomness nature of attacks.
By practicing with different partners, you really learn how to apply techniques, so they are effective. Good techniques should be effective against almost anyone. If you only practice with the same people with the same skill levels, you may not learn what really makes the technique work well. And while you are learning this, if a technique is not working, you get the opportunity to practice not stopping and trying something else until it is effective.
Training with partners of different heights will allow you to train at multiple ranges (close in, kicking range, weapons range, etc.). This will also teach what techniques are more effective against taller people or shorter people. Training with partners of different heights and sizes also provides another opportunity to experience randomness since fighters tend to take advantage of height or size and fight differently than say smaller or shorter people.
Training with partners with lower technical skill will train you to stay focused and not underestimate an opponent.
Training with more skilled partners may provide the opportunity to practice not stopping and trying something else if at first the technique was not effective.
Training with partners with higher technical skill can provide an experience to practice deep breathing. Sometimes when people train with higher technical skill, they get nervous or anxious and their heart rate goes up. When this happens, this is an opportunity to practice that deep breathing to stay focused and in control. Similarly, by training at high intensity levels you have the opportunity to practice deep breathing.
It may not always be possible to train with a variety of partners but take advantage when you can.
Regards,
Kelly
"You should not have a favorite weapon. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well.” ~ Miyamoto Musashi (c. 1584 –1645) - famous Japanese swordsman, the author of The Book of Five
