Interested in Faji but not interested in fighting

[johnwang]

I like it a lot. It seems like there would be pros and cons vs. holding the hands in a similar shape but not necessarily gripped together. Stronger structure vs. independent moves. Is it possibly a good idea against a grappling entry or against those casting punches (that may try to hit the guard, remove the guard, off-balance, set up throws or takedowns)?

In the

- beginner stage, you use "rhino guard".
- advance stage, you use "zombie arms".

By using zombie arms, your hands are separated but you can close it if needed. Your intention is to use your

- left arm to separate your opponent's right arm and his head.
- right arm to separate your opponent's left arm and his head.

It's a modified version of the "separate hands".

[everything]

Thanks, I believe that would help students (me) learn basics of striking faster.

[Steve James]

Rhino guard reminds me of Wu Song breaks manacles:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jI3yFceDdQ

[northern_mantis]

Nice. Looks like it would be a very quick way to pass on some defensive skills.

[GrandUltimate]

I think one issue is that a lot of people who are not interested in fighting still like to say they train/teach a martial/fighting art.

It doesn't make any sense that you are interested in:

- women but you don't want to touch any women.
- "CMA application" but you don't want to "apply CMA application".

I think there a lot of ways that people twist these types of desires.

For example, many people want to know how to fight, but not many people want to get hit or beat up. Realistically, they kind of go hand in hand (or maybe I'm just terribly bad).

Same with CMA applications. Some want to be able to launch a non resisting guy off his feet with a small movement so that they can look super cool, but they certainly don't want to risk getting hurt by a resisting opponent and "losing face."

I'm not saying it's a good way of thinking, but I think that's why there are people interested in things like fajing but not fighting. I personally think it sucks because training hard to attain martial arts skills without being able to use them in fighting is like buying an expensive car for its cup holder. But hey, to each his own I guess!

[cloudz]

Thanks, I believe that would help students (me) learn basics of striking faster.

I don't think it would, unless i am misunderstanding your comment somehow
If you want to learn striking don't take much (if any) notice of those 2 "guards" John likes to tout to all and sundry..

John and his teacher were/ are primarily wrestlers. Johns Rhino thing is for him to protect his head from shots whilst he enters into clinch range.
To wrestle, primarily.

I'm sorry but "rhino" has little to do with striking, other than protecting your head.
As for the zombie thing for striking or against. Just no.

Try it in a striking match and you will soon find out why it's useless in that context. Running at someone to clinch, knock yourself out I guess (you just might..)
I honestly wouldn't look on them as guards as such, they are ok used as a part of your entering strategy of you have a pro active one. Though I'm really not sure about zombie arms at this point, I think it could be dangerous - but then I haven't seen it used I don't think. I think there's also "octopus arms" I think and maybe more.., octopus arms looked and sounded ok iirc.

These things from what I've seen of them, are really tactics for entering or defending, they shouldn't be thought of as guards in my opinion.
Clasping the hands together like that for offense is just suicidal and I wouldn't touch it if you paid me!

You want to study a guard for striking and is very adaptable to MMA try this on for size. With weight on the back and the front hand low it's a good starting position for defending shots. It's also better for SD than something like Rhino, as my first instinct on seeing something like that in front of me is to kick at the groin area (hands high, attack low). At least with this you will have a hand lower for that too.

A guard (proper)should really be something you can fight out of/ from, consistently and against different things.

[everything]

Thanks. Will definitely check out the video. Alas, I probably won't have a chance to really learn striking, which is seeming more and more interesting.

I believe he said it is his level 1 beginner idea, and probably agrees it's for entering, but he'll have to answer you. I tried it (against level 1 simple one-punch-at-a-time kind of exercise) and what I liked about it as a beginner was:
- stable structure so you can more easily feel that structure for blocks
- seems easy to transition to two hand high guard position
some tradeoffs:
- can't keep one hand high, one low, one back, one front, simultaneous block, punch, etc.
- can't really do a variety of angled strikes or some kind of big haymaker, etc.

[johnwang]

If I'll teach someone just 1 technique so he can use it to fight, that will be the "rhino guard". It's one technique that can be used for both offense and defense. It's like holding a shield and spear.

If you can protect your head, you will have courage. Courage will give you confidence, speed, and commitment. When you use "rhino guard" to protect your head, and run toward your opponent like a mad man, most of the time, you can scare him to death.

The main strategy of the "rhino guard" is you don't allow your opponent's punch to come in between your arms. If your opponent tries to punch you from either side of your arms, his head will be exposed at that moment. So the "rhino guard" is to protect your head, but force your opponent's to expose his head.

[everything]

Thanks, because of limited time and talent (all of us have the first issue, some of us have the second), what I want to do is follow 80/20 rules (made a thread for this but I guess it wasn't provocative enough) as Tim Ferriss advocates a lot for learning languages and everything else, so I first learn 20% of some material that provides some 80% of benefit. Then go on to the next layer of the onion and whatever that next 20% is.

If rhino guard is a good step toward that first 20%, I'm fine with that. George/cloudz, I think the material you'd have me do would kinda be the rest of that first 20% or maybe a few steps beyond. I find it hard to identify the 20% so am kinda lazily waiting for RSF to tell me. My assumption is that is the same 20% of basics that experts tend to do the most of (but at a top level), so I suppose by my definition, rhino guard can't be all of that 20%.

[BruceP]

The first 'issuing' I've shown people is what they already do naturally. The one every one identifies with or gets right off the hop is called, "rolling up your sleeves" Some guys I trained called it "popping the sleeves".

You're wearing your favorite bathrobe or long-sleeved shirt and you have to fish a spoon out of the dishwater, or retrieve a toy your kid tried to flush down the toilet, and you don't want to get your sleeves wet. You raise your arms and pop the motion at the last couple of inches to get your cuffs to slide away from your hands. Try it - it's easy.

Get some one to flick their hand at your head/face. Try it standing with one foot forward. You can shorten the distance with a step as you do it to hit with forearm, elbow or the edge of your palm. A simple intro to responding defensively to forward pressure. Where it goes from there depends on, everything.

Issuing is understood as a quality of movement, since most everybody knows how to pop their sleeves.

[everything]

so as you pop your sleeve, your forearm bumps their forearm?

[johnwang]

so I first learn 20% of some material that provides some 80% of benefit.

For "rhino guard", the

- 20% benefit is "your head has protection".
- 80% benefit is to bait your opponent's arms to move away from his head.

To train "rhino guard", you have to train "head lock" at the same time. After you have trained "head lock", you can then apply the other 80%. That is, the moment that your opponent exposes his head, the moment that you can apply "head lock" on him. You then try to take him down and end the striking game.

[BruceP]

so as you pop your sleeve, your forearm bumps their forearm?

Maybe. It can intercept with contact on their hand, forearm, crook of their elbow or bicep. If you step, it can hit their chest, shoulder, face,..whatever. It depends on everything. It aint a technique - I hate techniques because they lead to a bunch of what-ifs and dead-ends. Just play with the movement. Tai chi aint got no techniques.

[johnwang]

Fomany people want to know how to fight, but not many people want to get hit or beat up.

I can understand that nobody wants to get a full powerful punch on the head. But one won't get beaten up on the wrestling mat. I'll assume that more people will be interested in the wrestling art instead.

[everything]

BruceP, johnwang, thanks a lot, pretty sure I'm following you.