Don't hold back.

I came across this the other day. Thought I’d share it with you. It’s pretty much a blog about going all out on the attacker and not hesitating to do so.

I have to say, it’s easier said than done. Especially since the majority of us guys are fairly nice people. Although it’s not a good thing to use excessive force, there’s much to be said about not using enough. Which camp would you rather belong? You don’t want to hold back, but this is definitely something that has to be trained into us. For some, it comes natural. But to others, not so much and pair that with the friendly environment of our kung fu school, brothers and sisters, and it can be difficult to replicate and develop that animal/killer instinct.

So how do you guys do that? How do you replicate that in your class if at all?

You know the saying, “the suit makes the man?” The same can be said of any object that defines you. For you men, imagine how a handbag. Now imagine holding a baseball bat. One makes you powerful, the other not so much. In effect, that object defines you. I think this can be applied to the drills we do in class. Sometimes those bong sao’s and tan sao drills define and limit our aggression. How aggressive can you be with a bong sao. This is all subconscious of course – I feel a punch will always lead to a more aggressive mentality than any killer bong sao could.

What I’m trying to say is, sometimes, to develop that killer instinct, it’s good to toss away the technicalities of wing tsun and just get right in there, relying on structure, punching and footwork and that’s all.

Ok, read on –

Street Fighting Moves – 4 reasons why you should never fear hurting he who is trying to hurt you.

by Charles Prosper

You are face-to-face with an enraged assailant who by all casual observation is as intent as hell in doing you some very serious damage once he can get a hold onto you. With most people who have not been properly trained to handle this type of situation there are typically two fears that must be overcome. One, is the fear of seriously getting hurt, and the other more curiously is the fear or hesitancy of seriously hurting the other person. I think that this is a point where we confuse interpersonal diplomacy with raw street survival.

Reason #1: Why Never Be Afraid To Hurt The Other - That Person Is Trying To Hurt Or Kill You! - This is the first and foremost reason and it is the one that complies most with the dictates of self preservation and common sense.

Reason #2: Why Never Be Afraid To Hurt The Other - You Don't Know What An Assailant Is Capable Of Doing To You - To survive, you must be prepared for the most violent aggression and likewise be ready to counter will the most violent aggression.

Reason #3: Why Never Be Afraid To Hurt The Other - Street Muggers And Attackers Can Be Very Manipulative - I am reminded of the true story I was told by my sifu under whom I was studying kung fu. He told me of a brown belt that had gotten into an altercation in a street fight. This brown belt landed a very risky round house kick to the face of the aggressor, and successfully knocked him to the ground. When the other guy fell to the ground, the brown belt leaned over and try to reason with him that there was no need to fight over whatever it was that they were fighting about when "Wham!" The guy on the ground slammed a brick into the brown belt's temple, cracking his skull, knocking him out and giving him a concussion.

Reason #4: Why Never Be Afraid To Hurt The Other - You Can't Make Violence Pretty, Palatable or Acceptable - If you can avoid a fight, but all means do so, but once it's on, there is no reason to make yourself believe that your goal is to just "control" the situation. Once you commit to the first blow, you must continue until the aggressor is completely subdued or unconscious by a knockout. There is no middle ground.