Balance Disruption: Taking a person’s balance from them, causing them to
rely on your weight, and body posture to keep them upright or on their feet.
To examine the disruption of one’s balance, let’s try to set up a
scenario:
Using a training partner, allow him/her to throw a punch toward you. First
thing we need to notice is his/her force used coming toward your direction.
The most common disruption we see used in martial arts, is the side step.
Stepping to the side, out of the line of fire from the person’s punch. If
your partner stands still and throws a jab, more then likely their momentum
isn’t flowing that hard. However if they were to throw a rather hard
straight punch stepping thru trying to hit you, and you were to move from
their line of fire, their momentum will take them off balance.
Now taking this into a different light, we may take a person and stand
them
up, hands down to their side relaxed. You grab their wrist in a relaxed
manner and pull it at a slight angle behind, or in front of them. This then
will make them catch their balance, by taking a step in the direction your
pulling them to. Although, your not tugging at an extreme uncomfortable
pull, just a relaxed position, taking them off their position of balance.
Now as they try to gain, or restructure their stance to find their center of
balance, move quickly to another angle causing them to have to adjust once
more. By doing this on a continuous motion, it is allowing both parties to
understand balance displacement.
How this applies to Martial Arts:
Well this is easy, lets go back to the first scenario. Your partner
takes a lunging punch toward your center line, as you step aside. You
contour
down the line of their arm, taking control of their wrist, and quickly move
their momentum to a slight 90 degree angle to the side. Or you can bring it
completely behind them, or just pull their momentum further forward. All
three of these will cause the person to loose their total balance, either
causing them to readjust their stepping, or foot placement. With that you
can allow a foot sweep, taking your opponent to the ground for you to do
with
them what you want, a submission, joint lock, or just let them lay there.
One more scenario is take a training partner, have them do a lapel
grab
while their facing you. All you really need to do to take their balance, is
by bringing your arm underneath their arm that’s grabbing you, having your
arm, hand relaxed. Attach your hand by placing your finger’s in the crease
of their inner elbow area, just relax and stand with your feet firm and
twist
by turning your waist. Turning in the direction of the shoulder of the arm
you used to attach to their elbow. By doing this you’ll see that they lose
their balance causing them to come right toward you, and you have their
hands
trapped in a position that is quite uncomfortable and you can place your
free
hand on their forehead and push downward causing them to fall to the floor.
I really enjoy experimenting with the human balance displacement. Once
you understand how to work the body of your opponent or training partner the
more effective and fun your martial arts training can be.
TRIANGLE PATTERN
In the Filipino arts, we utilize the basic triangle for stepping and
learning
proper angle placement.
By using the triangle, you can also learn balance disruption. Draw a
triangle diagram on a floor by using tape. Have your partner place his feet
shoulder width apart on the bottom of the angle. Then take their hand and
pull it towards the top of the triangle, and then notice their balance
become
taken at that point. This is a simple idea and illustration of how to use
balance displacement.
Now turn the triangle in the other direction with the top or tip of the
triangle behind that person. Then do the exact same experiment and see
their
balance disruption. In Kenpo the universal angle’s are that in the same of
what we use in the Filipino Martial Arts of Kali/Eskrima/Arnis. The
triangle
is a very important tool to learn and utilize proper footwork, and body
movement, as it also allows us to see how it is used against an opponent or
training partner as we have discussed in this article.
I’m probably most certain anyone with any length of time in Martial Arts has
experienced these ideas at one point in time in their training. I’m also
certain that anyone with any background in Kenpo or a Filipino Martial Art
has a general idea as to what I’m discussing here, and probably uses these
angles on a daily training regimen.
If you have not experienced or trained using the angle’s of body
movement, it may be something you should look into as a martial artist and
you’ll understand what your system of martial art is telling you to a more
finer degree.
Their is an Instructor by the name of Professor Joe Lansdale, in
Nacogdoches, Texas that is truly a master of using balance disruptions. I
have had the honor to meet and train with him at a seminar, and one of his
students, Sensei Mike Casto. They use the unique systems of Hapkido,
Aikijujitsu, Aikido, Eskrima, and Silat. Prof. Lansdale created his system
calling it Shen Chuan. For more info on either of these martial artist or
if
you would like to host them for a seminar please view them at their website:
www.joeRLansdale.com/shenchuan or www.impactacademy.com
Thank You: Sensei Cory Ballinger, Indiana Martial Arts Academy
www.geocities.com/indianamartialarts