When sizing up an opponent one of the earliest things I learned was based on how he moved when you made a quick move towards him. If he blocked he was a blocker, if he moved back he was a runner, and if he moved towards you he was a fighter. This theory was put forth by Joe Lewis, and supposedly was originated by Bruce Lee.
I came up with my own observations in this matter, as time passed. My observations were not based the fact that you have wasted a motion if you have feinted towards an opponent to make a response, and if he is not wasting motion you’re already in a fight. I realized that I better just get on with analyzing the attacker because the fight was already started
First, I judged speed and mass and such factors. If he was lean and quick he would be looking for speed and striking, and if he was chunky and strong, he would be more likely to close and grapple. And, of course, these generalities proved to be of incredibly limited value.
So I began to isolate whether he was left handed or right handed by observing which hand was forward. This was much better because it told me where the power was coming from, and even what angle it would from. Still, this observation only resulted in maybe a ten per cent edge in fighting, and I needed more than that.
Still, knowing which hand he was attacking with let me know whether he was setting up for a kick. I began to judge potential distances, and what effect this had on an opponent, and how I should angle my attack. The real key to all this was whether he shifted to free up a leg for kicking.
Understanding the importance of the positioning of the feet and the hands, I began to separate the body in half. I would view it as two pieces, and estimate, from the angle he was facing me, what what angle I should take on the defense, and what angle he would take on the attack. This invaluable observation drove my effectiveness up by 70%.
There will always be a bit of mystery as to what is going to happen when you start fighting. Still, if you cut the body in half, top to bottom and side to side, you’re going to have a distinct plan and reduce the mystery. Try it, and feel free to send me your observations, good or bad, I’ll be very interested in your results and progress.
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