One of the early principles I introduce when teaching weapons of any kind (in this case stick fighting) is the tortoise principle.
Idea: ability to retract limbs/weapons
Application(s):
ensure your limbs do not protrude unnecessarily (1)
Draw opponent in deep - make them over stretch (2)
Further Details:
(1) In Shastar Vidiya we have a distance, for ease I'll refer to it as CR. Within this distance to CR you are inside your body's mass. I.e. if somebody were to hold your protruded limb and pull they would effectively have to pull your whole mass not just use a moment or engage a proportion of your mass. Beyond CR you have less structure and are your centre of mass is therefore more easily manipulated.
In terms of weapons it is a point beyond which it is relatively easy for your opponent to strike or cut your weapon hand (or engage the weapon itself) - effectively disarming you.
(2) If you can wield your weapon (change angles and exact intent upon your opponent) inside CR there are [hopefully] obvious combat advantages.
However, this is all good but what are the draw backs.
First one is intent and covering range so that your opponent cannot just ignore what you are doing as not endangering them. The key to overcoming this lies in footwork and your ability to cut [angles] in. A more simple element which must be there is power in the strike from this position. This has much to do with dropping mass (will need to address at a future point).
The second is versatility of strikes. I am not well versed in other arts - but in Indian arts suppleness of wrists and more generally all joints is employed alongside body movements which favour moving all 6 limbs (usual 4 + torso + head) as one. This allows you to put much of your mass through the striking point.
In this video I employ the principle and put emphasis on (2) in the first entry with more aggressive footwork. I then slow it down a little to make some teaching points. I have a stick and small shield (krot) and my opponent Ammo has two sticks. We swap over afterwards and I show how an expansive style combats this one.
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