Challenging Your Sensei
Throughout the disciplines I’ve studied, I’ve witnessed first hand that there always comes along beginner questioning the plausibility of martial arts. Sometimes they learn to end up learning the hard way, and this video highlights just that. Hope you enjoy.
This segment highlights the spinning hook kick even though it was implemented vs an inexperienced opponent. I’m assuming by the nature of him looking very out of shape, no real physical indication that he has been training, that indeed he is a rookie, probably challenging his sensei to see if his martial art is real, which might actually sound like a joke.
But I have witnessed this first hand as well, in taekwondo, my teacher was sometimes challenged by people who doubted his class, and he’d welcome them, accidentally breaking their ribs or arms from the strike, and so I know this does happen, even here, Eddie Bravo being confronted by someone who didn’t believe in his jiu-jitsu, using feral monkey noises as his first line of attack, thus Eddie making relatively quick work of him. None the less, let’s dive into the fight between the sensei and his challenger.
Notice how he hops in, and then probes with his lead. This does a few things. First pulling his opponent’s attention, then reading the reaction to it to help gauge the next move, and of course, helps gauge distance for the next move. Again probes with the lead a little closer, and his opponent this time really reacts to it, pushing it back, reciprocating the behaviour.
By doing this not only has he habitually reinforced a pattern of behaviour but knowing the next move, he can bait this behaviour and exploit it… Feint’s the lead, and like magic, the trick happens where you’re not looking.
Using The Same Philosophy
Look at how his opponent’s hand is extended, he was expecting to push back the lead, grasping air, and by the time he figures out what happened, its too late, spinning hook kick. You could say this only landed because his opponent was inexperienced, but Uriah Hall essentially uses the exact same philosophy to land his spinning hook kick here.
He created a reaction to his lead with the jab, then feinted it to pull that reaction, the trick happening where your attention isn’t, land clean on the dome. He used it here as well, completely catching Gegard off guard, although it appeared he didn’t need any set up really, it was just the speed of execution and the element of surprise really…
Overall, it was beautifully executed, and you can use it in a practical situation as well, although you should be careful using it on training partners as the ferocity of the kick when it lands is truly devastating. It’s also an excellent kick to exploit people circling away for your power hand if you have the speed and balance to efficiently deliver it.
I hope you enjoyed the video. Please don’t forget to like and subscribe if you did, it’s good karma, and until next time, peace.
Music: [No Copyright Music] Palm Trees – Ehrling