Principles of War: Self Analysis - Striking Techniques

It’s my intention to analyze my martial arts skills, capabilities, and personal style through the lens of the Principles of War.

U.S. Army Field Manual FM 3-0 starting on page 4-11 defines the Principles of War. These definitions with my commentary can also be found through the links below.

Mass
Objective
Offensive
Surprise
Economy of Force
Maneuver
Unity of Command
Security
Simplicity

To summarize my personal martial arts style I’ll mentally put myself in a self defense situation. The mental fiction is necessary because my personal martial arts style is a mixture of Tang Soo Do, Judo, and Neko Ryu Goshin Jitsu with the light touch of a few other systems I’ve encountered along the way.

An analysis of my Judo would be a very different thing from an analysis of my Tang Soo Do. But, in a self defense situation, and in my self defense training, I freely mix my best of all I’ve learned. Not THE best mind you, but MY best from all of the styles I’ve encountered – primarily the three in which I’m ranked.

In general, I don’t get too excited in the presence of a threat but I have a tendency to tense up. I’m able, by an act of will, to relax but it must be done repeatedly throughout the encounter.

Although my mind functions under stress, I tend to see only the opportunities and threats that I’ve previously experienced in training or competition. My recognition of golden opportunities that are major variations of situations I’ve experienced is frequently too slow for me to take advantage of them. By the time my mind processes the information the opportunity has passed.

I like to move around. When I’m in striking mode I’ll circle my opponent; switching between circling right or left. I don’t bounce as I move and I generally keep my weight on the balls of my feet.

In grappling mode, I move more slowly. I still circle my opponent but I also move forward and back, and side to side. My weight is more likely to be evenly distributed on both feet with some weight on my heels as well as the balls of my feet.

I’m in striking mode when I’m not in a clinch; when I have no grip on my opponent’s body and my opponent has no grip on mine. A “grip”, being defined very loosely, doesn’t have to be grasping fingers. It can be a wrapping arm or leg or even a pin against a wall or floor. In a clinch mobility is reduced and I shift into grappling mode.

I favor low kicks, especially sidekicks to the knee, roundhouse kicks to the knee, and front snap kicks to the shin. I’m a right-hander but I train equally on both sides and I always train first on the left. In a contest I occasionally switch between right and left guards and in striking mode I’m as likely to attack from the left as from the right. In grappling mode, despite my left hand training I’ll use a right-handed technique about 2 times out of 3.

I’ll jab often but in the attack I’ll use combinations of straight punches, kicks and elbows. I especially like horizontal and reverse horizontal elbow strikes to the face.

Knife hands to the throat, hammer fists to the clavicle, and palm heels to the chin or nose along with the front kick to the shin are part of my instant response simple self defense training. But after the initial response, I’m unlikely to use them again.

In my next post I’ll finish summarizing my personal martial arts style. I’ll flesh out my favored grappling techniques and discuss the transition from striking to grappling.

Link to the Martial Arts Training Report: The Principles of War