| Wouldn't it be great to be able to know | | | | defend yourself. So, we aren't talking about sizing |
| everything about your opponent, before you had | | | | up a sparring opponent. We need to size up an |
| to fight him or her? | | | | attacker, a street fighter, probably approaching |
| In old times, a challenger would go to a | | | | very fast. |
| martial-arts school. There, he would challenge the | | | | You don't have much time |
| master. | | | | Get any quick clue that you can: |
| But the master was no fool. First, the challenger | | | | - Is the attacker left-handed or right-handed? |
| had to fight the lower-level students, working his | | | | - Is the dominant hand forward or back? (boxers |
| way up the ladder, progressing to more advanced | | | | keep strong side to the rear. JKD fighters fight |
| students. | | | | with the best side forward.) |
| Besides tiring out the challenger, this gave the | | | | - Are any of your attacker's hand positions, foot |
| master an excellent opportunity to study the | | | | positions, or movement, indicative of a style |
| challenger's every move. Knowing how his | | | | familiar to you? |
| students fought helped him to plan his strategy | | | | - If your goal is to avoid playing your attacker's |
| against the intruder, long before they ever | | | | game in a fight, is there anything that indicates |
| crossed hands (or feet). | | | | what kind of "game" he or she is playing? |
| You and I aren't so lucky. We may have to fight | | | | Ready for a Street Fight? |
| our own battles. Real self-defense. A | | | | Are you really ready for what's about to happen? |
| honest-to-goodness street fight! I wish we could | | | | Can you get away? |
| have 20 people tire out our attacker, wearing him | | | | Are you afraid? (If you don't have control of your |
| or her down before we ever had to defend | | | | emotions, then your reactions won't be your best. |
| ourselves. | | | | You don't want to freeze. |
| My focus is on practical martial arts -- ways to | | | | |