Note: The following is merely one of my own thoughts and conclusions based on my own experiences, readings, and thoughts. Please don't rely on the following essay as an ultimate truth but rather a possible addition to your own Martial Arts outlook. I believe that these general concepts can be applied on the street, in the training hall, or at tournaments. - John Melton

Through reading, conversations, and my own experimentation, I have developed the following strategy. The only place I've been able to test its effectiveness is during free-sparring and point-sparring drills. In a nutshell the concept is simple, if you perform a particular technique twice, your opponent will assume you are going to do it a third time. There are many possible applications using this concept.

1.) Offence Recently, I was fighting a fellow student that was pretty good. We were knocking each other around nicely for a while when I noticed an opening in his guard. I stuck him cleanly with quick front-leg sidekick right in the foremost side of his stomach. He grunted as he took the hit. I knew it had hit cleanly, but since it was only one hit his mind chalked it up as a single occurrence. He didn't close the hole in his guard so I repeated the technique a few seconds later obtaining the same results. Now he had been struck twice in the same spot within a short period of time. He thought I that I would attempt to get in again. He had felt the pain of impact twice, so he really didn't want to get hit in the same, tender spot. He'd be ready next time, by God! I darted my eyes to the same spot and twitched my knee up a bit as I moved in again. This time he had learned his lesson; He covered the spot with both arms like a champ, his eyes locked onto my kicking leg, he braced for the impact, and readied his retaliation. So I backfisted him right above his eye. It surprised him so much that he forgot to retaliate for a few precious seconds.

The possibilities are infinite, using this general concept. Say, for instance, he blocked the first kick. There's no reason for me to not continue with the plan. When I kick him again in the same place, and he blocks it again, he'll just figure that I'm gonna keep trying until I succeed. It still ends the same way.

Another offensive application is to throw a technique and watch how your opponent reacts. He(she) will dodge or retreat in a certain manner. Test the technique again. If you get the same response then you can probably assume that they will behave the same way the third time, so be ready to attack the opponent where they WILL be. Be careful, because they've also watched you and may be ready to act based on your previous movements.

2.) Defense Here's a fictional example of where the "Rule of Three" can be used defensively. Your opponent throws a roundhouse kick that totally catches you off guard and you get hit, or nearly get hit. Your opponent files that, mentally, under SUCSESS!! When they try it again, chances are that they will, defend yourself while you observe their movements and look for the opening. When they try it a third time, clobber 'em. It boils down to this: if a particular technique works on against you, your opponent will continue to use it. The "Why fix it if it a'int broke?" mentality. As long as you are thinking along those lines, it will be "broke" ;)

3.) Considerations Remember that all this can be used against you. Even if the person isn't using the "Rule of Three", they still learn quickly (Rule of Four?, Five? ;). If I throw a technique combination that is working well and I "score" twice, I'm done using it for the duration of the engagement. I've been jammed up too many times by letting my overconfidence take over, assuming that I've found that "unstoppable" technique for my particular opponent, only to find out that they've noticed a chink in my armor.

John Melton March 1998

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