First the video, it was a funny kids demo for Unsu
kata. It open the applications for the kata with this sequence.
Pointing
to the ground during a challenge, and then when the opponent looks, attack
unexpected.
Now
this is from memory and so long ago I am not sure the name of the lead actor is
correct, this is the best I can remember.
As
a new black belt, I went everywhere to visit and train. One school, David Brojacks school of Kempo Goju, was one of those
places. I had met his students as a brown belt when we were fellow competitors.
I visited time and again as they were one of the places I could train in
Kumite.
As
best I can remember, this occurred in later 1980. A Iranian with a green belt
in some Iranian system became a student in that area, and approached Dave to
become a student. The Iranian hostage crisis was taking place then, but was not
an issue for him to train there.
As
I remember his name was something like Farazad. He had good kumite skills.
The
next spring, we as a group were traveling to compete at George Dillmans Spring
Tourmament as the Fieldhouse. As it turned out Farahazad was competing in the
green belt division, and it was a huge division. There were many rounds of
fighting.
Farazad
had success, and progressed through many fights.
Finally
he reached the semi-final round of the fights. As I remember he and his competitor
were pretty evenly matched. So the fight went on and on, into overtime. Both
fighters were exhausted and slowing down. Farazad had little left to fight
with, and his opponent was in exactly the same state.
Suddenly
Farazad stopped and pointed over the opponents shoulder. His opponent turned
his head to see what was there. Then Farahazad struck with what he had left.
The blow scored and he won that fight.
I
have never seen a better use of a distraction. As core it was brilliant. Fighting
to exhaustion they were obviously focused on what they were doing. Then a
distraction grabbing the opponent’s mind. And he turned his head. Thus
providing an opening for his swift defeat.
The
essence of what a distraction is and does.
In
this case he won the fight.
Creating
a lesson I still remember.
As
for Farazad, as to his final fight, he had used everything that he had.
He
had nothing left and his opponent did, and won that fight.
Sometime
after that he departed and I never heard from him again.
Even
distraction, only works when it truly in unexpected. It is never the whole
answer.
Lesson
Learned.
1 comment:
Russ Smith -
Good stuff, there's an old Chinese poem used in a lot of styles that I think comes from Sun Tzu..."point east, strike west"
声东击西 - Diversion
in this case its "make a noise to the east, and attack west"
rather than "pointing"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty-Six_Stratagems#Make_a_sound_in_the_east.2C_then_strike_in_the_west
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