Pre-emptive strikes...

[pasmith]

Do you guys have a particular favourite pre-emptive strike?
One that would be your first line of defense when the poo hits the air-con?
Or do you favour the old adage of using whatever presents itself at the time?
If you do have a favoured strike is it one taken directly from karate?
Have you adapted it?
Or even got it from another art all together?

Personally I favour the open handed slap taken mainly from the teachings of Peter Consterdine and Dave Turton. I've not seen it in many arts and certainly not in Karate. I also throw it in a way that feels good to me and feel that I can generate a fair amount of impact with it.
The next Chav that pushes me too far gets it in the chops (although I've never had to use it for real so far).
I do however have the horrible feeling that my target would probably just say "What did you do that for?" and then give me a shoeing.
One of those things I'll never know until I have to do it I suppose as I doubt there's many takers for being the target of a powerslap.

[Aefibird]

pasmith said:

One of those things I'll never know until I have to do it I suppose as I doubt there's many takers for being the target of a powerslap.

Yeah, there's not many people at training who ,when you say to them "can I try this on you?" would reply "yeah, alright!".

I don't really know what my choice of pre-emtve strike would be. I've never found myself in a situation where I've needed to use my training and I hope that I never will.

However, I'd like to think that my training has had some use and that I would be able to be ready if it all kicked off and that I'd be able to use apropriate and effective techniques and not just stand there blubbering like a little kid....

[AngelaG]

Yeah we do "powerslaps", applied with a waveform.

I guess any pre-emptive thing do would most likely be a technique using Body Alarm Reaction, so probably a quick slap/rake down the forehead/face to set myself up for something else.

[random]

Without getting into the pre-emptive/reaction argument, been there already somewhere else on this forum.

I would like to say, rather sagely while rubbing my chin, that whatever came to hand (or foot, knee. Elbow) was my favourite first strike. However I am sure I am not the only one who has imagined situations and how we would react to them and so, is someone was very close a two handed push/strike (Unsu I think) if it is inevitable and coming from some distance and it would probably be a haw maker then elbows and knees would be the order of the day, although I do imagine doing some pretty painful stuff the chavs around here. I do favour an open hand technique through, I think it leaves a lot more options open than just swinging a fist.

[paulhe]

The last pre-emptive strike I used was a poke in the eye.. lets call it 'ippon nukite' taken straight from Gojushiho Dai or Unsu to make it sound cool if you wish ;D Regardless the guy went down mid-sentance like a sack of s*it.

[AceRimmer]

Powerslap for defenite. An excelent technique that can be thrown from square on as easily as from a small 45 degree. Great if you are caught unaware.

[Shorin Ryu Sensei]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the question here about pre-emptive strikes, but a slap, backhand or forehand, doesn't seem to me to be a technique that's going to drop an opponent and end a fight quickly. In fact, all I think it's going to do to most people is make them madder and more aggressive...which actually can be a good thing because they will have more openings when they come after you again.

In my mind, a pre-emptive strike should be one that disables, or is hard enough to disuade an attacker from continuing his assault against you. I've used a pre-emptive strike several times when it was obvious that I couldn't talk my way out of a fight, or walk away (I don't run). I watched my opponent start his forward movement, hands coming up to punch, and I lunge faster than he does and throw a hard left or right hand in a fist directly to their nose or eye. Having pretty large hands, my fist can cover both the nose and eye at the same time pretty well. Putting my full weight (240 lbs) behind my punch and added forward momentum causes my punch to be pretty effective, and the couple of times I've had to do this, has dropped my opponent to the ground and ended the fight with just the one punch being thrown.

[shotopants]

In my own limited experience, the most effective pre-emptive strikes are verbal ones.

[paulhe]

shotopants said:

In my own limited experience, the most effective pre-emptive strikes are verbal ones.

'Verbal' and tactical conversation is more of a set-up than a strike IMO

[paulhe]

srs said:

In my mind, a pre-emptive strike should be one that disables, or is hard enough to disuade an attacker from continuing his assault against you

I agree totally. However this doesn't always have to be a `big' hit. It's all about threat assessment and using the right tool for the right job. You don't need a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Age and experience has altered my approach... then again it may just be the extensive use of CCTV in the UK that's done that lol

[pasmith]

"Slap" doesn't really do it justice.
Think of it more as a circular palm strike delivered with full waist twist, double hip (door hinge hip), movement of body weight, whiplash arm and a heavy relaxed hand.
The landing of the whole palm to the side of the head delivers a hook punch like head shake and large neural overload (due to the large surface area hit).
Of course my description is purely hypothetical.
Peter Consterdine in the UK is the man in the know on this (amongst others).
Think of a punch as being like being hit with the end of a rowing oar in a stabbing forwards motion while a "slap" is like being hit with the flat of it...across the face.

[Shorin Ryu Sensei]

pasmith said:

"Slap" doesn't really do it justice.
Think of it more as a circular palm strike delivered with full waist twist, double hip (door hinge hip), movement of body weight, whiplash arm and a heavy relaxed hand.
The landing of the whole palm to the side of the head delivers a hook punch like head shake and large neural overload (due to the large surface area hit).
Of course my description is purely hypothetical.
Peter Consterdine in the UK is the man in the know on this (amongst others).
Think of a punch as being like being hit with the end of a rowing oar in a stabbing forwards motion while a "slap" is like being hit with the flat of it...across the face.

Ah...OK, that makes more sense than just a "slap". SWtill, IMO, I'd rather nail them good with a solid punch to the head or kick to the lower torso/stomach and end the fight right there. A slap, no matter how hard it is thrown, may not end the fight if it doesn't connect solidly and squarely, whereas a solid punch or kick, even glancing, might.

I guess it would depend on each situation and each individual. What works for me might not be what works for you...although I can't possibly see how ANYBODY wouldn't agree that my way was better! ;D *that's a joke...just in case you're not sure*