The Secret Weapon

I had been training in martial arts for a number of years before I met Joe Lewis and became a member of his organization. As a result of training directly with Mr. Lewis the one thing that stands out to me as the most significant change in my being as a combat martial artist is the reality of time and space, All of my teachers prior to Mr. Lewis told me how to block an opponents punch but never explained when to block. JL demonstrated for me the true eye / hand speed ratio which forever changed my perception. In his demonstration he showed me that it takes a person 7/100ths to 25/100ths of a second to perceive and start responding to a punch, with the average person at about 15/100ths . He then demonstrated that he could deliver a strike/punch in about 3-4/100ths of a second. Bam!!! that’s when I really understood the Philly sucker punch (another lesson). I realized that there was no way I could block a guys punch standing close to him and if I increased the distance between us it equalized the advantage that the initiator/puncher had. This single change in my mental understanding gave me great confidence in my ability to control fighters. it is a secret weapon. That was 40 years ago and oddly enough it is as true today as it was then. One of my students, Larry Greenblatt teaches computer security and in his explanation of computer system defenses he does the same demonstration. In every class he ask if someone knows any martial arts, he brings them up to the front of the class, he ask them how they would block a punch and they reply with a block. He then tells them that he is going to fire a forehand strike close to their head and to block when he does. Invariable each and every time they fail to get even close. His point is that you might think that you have a defense plan worked out but someone inside your castle walls knows otherwise.