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Fight at a more advanced level: attack and defend at the same time

As in Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do (and in a lot of other combat systems after it, read The core concepts of Jeet Kune Do), in 6 Dragons Kung Fu (one of) the best defensive methods is to defend and attack at the same time.

Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu online: a beginner-to-expert course).

In contrast to a classical passive defense reaction (a cover, a parry, a deviation, etc.), let’s introduce the concept of “active reaction”:

The idea is that whenever we can we have to employ our body to combine defense and attack
Fewer actions mean less risk of mistakes, less execution time and therefore less chance for the opponent
This way we become faster, more efficient and pressing
Instead of wasting energy, time and space in 2 or 3 actions, we only sum up everything in a single move

A note by Master Kongling – Energy consumption is often an underestimated aspect but economizing the amount of our movements automatically prolongs the time we can fight at an effective level. It is important to understand that this is not something secondary, let’s take an extreme example: if hypothetically we could always replace 2-3 movements with 1, we could, absurdly, double or triple the duration of our useful combat performance (naturally, this is an exaggeration but sometimes even just a small increase can make a decisive difference).

Simultaneous attack and defense: examples of “active reactions”

Here there are a few practical examples of effective “active reactions” to an attack:

Exit the opponent’s attack by pushing him / her (eg. with our torso against an obstacle), or better, hitting his / her body at the same time (eg. with an elbow)
Sacrifice strategically ourselves accepting to receive a less incisive blow to reach (simultaneously) a good target or an extremely advantaged position
Channel the adversary’s strength inertia in the direction of our attack (strong part against delicate part)
Oppose to a weak body element attack (eg. fingers), a direct collision with a limb / weapon / object much stronger / conditioned (read Physical conditioning: how it works)
Put the opponent in a position of not being able to react effectively and attack him / her at the same time
Convert the strength and space we use to deflect / block an attack as a power-up for our reaction (eg. a throw, read Dragon Motion: the swirling movements)
Divert the attack with a limb and hit simultaneously with another (eg. left and right arms)
Bounce or slide on the adversary’s limbs to deviate and reach a sensitive target with the same movement (eg. eyes)
Use a parry to imprison the opponent in a constrained posture or to break his / her attacking limb (read Chin Na)
Do a “fake” attack (feint) simultaneously with a real attack
Damage the limbs involved in the adversary’s attack by hitting them while they are already “engaged” in an aggression movement
…

For some practical (trapping) examples see the most advanced drills in 32 trapping drills samples.

How and when “defensive moves” can effectively mutate in attacks

Let’s see a few tips on how a 6 Dragons Kung Fu practitioner can create the right conditions to adopt the “active reactions” concept:

Never let the opponent go out of our target range with useless parries
When we dodge a punch, we never have to get away from the adversary more than what we (minimally) need to do not be affected
Always attack from stance 7 position that cannot be effectively reached by the opponent’s striking
Connect many consecutive attacks, without leaving the adversary time to recover / react
Use deception through a wise combination of feints and advanced contacts (read 6DKF’s interactions: from the strong blow to the light)
Avoid a too-defensive mindset, in many cases if we do not focus on counterattack we forcibly are a step backward from our opponent
…

How to acquire the “active reaction” capability

The premise

This skill can be achieved by anyone but:

It is totally out of the reach of a beginner, attempting to apply active reactions prematurely can even become counterproductive
Its study should start at an intermediate level, when we already know safer ways to interact
We need a lot of practical training (especially in trapping and sparring, read Trapping [MINI-GUIDE] and Martial arts sparring [MINI-GUIDE])
The first real results of this preparation (beyond the checks of the opponent’s blows) will be truly visible only at an advanced level

What we need

Here is what to focus our conditioning:

Coordination – We must learn to move more limbs differently, asynchronously and simultaneously
Muscle chain – Attacks mixed with defense are often movements deficient in charge space so we should employ and connect the force of the whole body (read Use the body power: the muscle chain)
Spatial intelligence and spatial memory – We must learn to keep the scenario’s elements under control (read The combat scenario: how to control it) by developing a deep understanding of its mechanics (read The most important skill in combat)
Precision – We must be quick and precise (read /// Subscribe (it's free!) or Login to see this content ///); our reactions have not only to be balanced, simultaneous and coordinated but also rationally linked fitting together like the teeth of a gear (read Martial arts: why speed and power are not enough)
Timing – We must be able to enter, follow and break the opponent’s fighting rhythm (time, space, state, etc.) and we must learn to change its trend abruptly (eg. fast, stop, slow, strong, rigid, flexible, etc.)
Reactivity – The more our reactions are fast, the more we can do simultaneous things (read Multitasking: how to develop it and why); the more we train reflexes, the more our mind becomes fast, the more we have time to choose and apply our tactics (read Fighting with the reason at the speed of instinct)
…

A note by Master Kongling – It is important to stress that one of the reasons that makes Kung Fu not suitable for everyone is that its methods are too complex to be performed by a mind untrained to precision, speed, quick reasoning, etc. (read All the skills of 6 Dragons Kung Fu). If we are not used to applying advanced techniques instantaneously in a more than natural way it is better to limit our fighting baggage to a more basic game.

In-depth video courses

Basic 6 Dragons Kung Fu exercises – The core practices to build the fundamental combat capabilities
Advanced speed and reflexes training – Combat speed, from instant improvements to deep training
How to develop a good timing – How to gain control over your pace and impose it on the opponent
Basic free hand fighting techniques – All the basic combat techniques of 6 Dragons Kung Fu
How to use feints in combat – An advanced study of deception in the real-time of combat
Advanced combat tactics – Strategy, how to build an advanced-level game
Structures for combat: liquid, solid, fluid – A detailed explanation of the body states for combat

In-depth articles

Dodge attacks – What does it mean to channel, parry or dodge an attack
Reflexes and spatial intelligence: an exercise with the Tennis ball – A good advanced spatial training

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

Have you ever performed a simultaneous attack and defense move in a fight?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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