Self-Defense Casual Techniques

Have you ever seen a sistema demonstration?loose technique, and it hurts.
It's a Russian martial art. Many know it as aNow, turn to Ed Parker's kenpo. He had a
grappling art, but there is also a hitting component.whipping motion to his punches -- also a motion
What is interesting is the casualness of the hits.that has been opened up, let loose, so to speak.
They seem almost sloppy.Opening Up A Little At Will
Jackie Chan Style Martial ArtsImagine being able to add a little more power and
When you watch a Jackie Chan movie, it seemsa little more speed to your techniques whenever
that he almost bumbles into his fancy martial-artsyou wanted to. For some martial artists, the
moves. You can't decide whether you areanswer to the power and speed problem has to
witnessing something ultimately fancy anddo with loosening the reigns on their techniques.
gymnastic, or if you have just seen a fool fall intoRelax. Let the punches and kicks fly of their own
one incredibly lucky martial-arts technique afteraccord. (Still, be careful.)
another.Regaining Technique Control
Someone pokes at him with a weapon, and as heMartial arts becomes a balancing act between
dodges it, he inadvertently bangs into another badopening up and maintaining control. You let loose
guy, knocking him across the room, and maybeand gain power and speed, but then precision has
out a window."left the building."
Different Sort of ReactionSo, you regain precision, but then your technique
I'm not suggesting that you act like a martial-artsbecomes stilted and constricted.
clown on purpose, unless you practice drunkenBy striving to move back and forth from the
monkey style kung fu -- just kidding.controlled to the wild and back again, eventually,
Let's go back to sistema for a minute: whenyou'll learn to harness the casual, loose (and wild)
these practitioners see an opening, they "slap" intotechnique into your precise, skilled responses.
it, with their arms a little floppy. It's sort of a