Walking the Walk

this is from my kick boxing coach Joe Lewis -

"Real fighters have the courage to be willing to discover and/or to demonstrate how effectively their skills work against world class combatants inside the ring, and also to exhibit that which makes up the substance of one's fighting character, while others are willing to settle for avoiding discovering that which they are not."

You have my permission to spread my comment to anyone out there---IT IS A FACT!

"A big fish in a small pond knows nothing of the whales in the ocean." (My senior black belt, Dennis Nackord, 9th Dan)

I am not in the b...s... slamming business, I offer information and real cutting-edge combative insights for the serious martial artist still interested in continuing to grow. NO ONE will match what I have to offer. For your benefit, here is a sample of one of my latest blogs:

Question: Hi Joe In your manual you mention an inverted jab. What is this? Many Thanks Andrew Thomas

Answer: Quick Answer

The classic jab is executed with the fist (the palm) turned downward, pronated position. An inverted jab is executed with the fist (the palm) facing upwards, supinated position.

Long Answer

There are many types of jabs used in combat and sport competition. A disciplined fighter develops what is called an “educated jab.” This highly skilled technique has attributes which make it effective enabling it to produce rhythm, timing, purpose, speed, and accuracy.

Primarily, most well trained fighters are taught to use it as a “feeler” technique---a probing maneuver to establish initial contact with an opponent or to check out his defensive weaknesses. However, in many old school styles, this lead hand is still taught to be used as a defensive/blocking tool.

This out-dated practice was inherited from the old samurai days when warriors wore thick armor and had to use a shield held with the forward arm for blocking swords and other weapons. When martial arts begin practicing without swords and armor, the tactics had to change; however, many instructors were frozen in a time warp, and continued teaching the use of the forward arm as a blocking tool.

The current cutting-edge trainers of today teach that the lead hand in combat is mainly used for four reasons: 1) The most important purpose of the lead hand is to establish an educated jab in order to stabilize your opponent. 2) The lead hand can be used to turn your opponent (by hooking or cross-palming the shoulder). 3) Good leg kickers use the lead arm sometimes to post (arm obstruction) just before they cut kick the opponent’s leg. 4) Smart sharpshooters will use the lead hand to displace their opponent’s defensive hand positions (called displacement).

Each of these four tactics is designed to help control an opponent by keeping him contained; therefore, each of these tactics is called a containment maneuver.

A jab can be used to cut, to measure, to turn an opponent’s chin sideways or upwards, to blind him, to break his balance, to fake him or to break his rhythm, to set up a punch or takedown, to disrupt an attack, and/or for several other reasons. Names of jabs vary from a flicking jab, the flinging jab, the power jab, the speed jab, the rising straight-arm jab, the off-angle jab, pawing jab, the short pump, and the inverted jab. Regardless of the type of jab a fighter uses, the primary purpose is to stabilize your opponent.

An inverted jab is used against a shorter opponent or someone shooting in for a takedown. When an opponent’s head is tilted forward as they come inside your pocket, the angle of your countering inverted fist fits perfectly against the corresponding descending slope of an attacker's face. This jab is to stabilize, your second shot is to cut, and then your third is designed to drop or stop him or to make him back off.

Lastly, remember that nothing works without practice, practice, and more practice.

Be smart, and go to my web site and become one of our members. You will receive not only a number of these types of updates and commentary blogs in our question and answer section, but you can also download from this site a private lesson every month directly from me on material NO ONE teaches.


Joe Lewis
Former World Karate/Kickbox Champion
United States Marine Corps

JLFS site: http://www.joelewisfightingsystems.com