Basic Techniques Common to Martial Arts that are Good to Know

Body, mind, and environment can work together to facilitate a complete system of movement and technique. If you invite the perspective of how these elements work together as a complete system, you can begin to integrate the efficiency, flow, and power of these tools into your own practice.

There are several basic techniques common to all martial arts to include Western boxing and softer styles such as tai chi. Let’s investigate some of these foundational concepts.

Blocks

Blocking is essential in defending against attack and guarding the vital organs, neck, and head. The collateral benefit of blocks is moving the opponent’s striking tool out of the way in order to deliver a counter attack. Different methods of blocking are used to react to the attack in a given situation as well as to give your counter an advantage.

Intercepting

Intercepting works by delivering a more direct strike before the less direct strike can make contact. For example, the opponent attempts a spinning hook kick, but you deliver a straight kick first.

Evasion

Evasion is one of the most effective blocks that causes the least damage to you. Evasion techniques include dodging, slipping, and bobbing and weaving.

Hard blocking

Hard blocking is what might come to mind when you think of fighting and blocking. Hard blocking pits your force against the opponent’s with direct blocks to the attack, such as forearm blocks.

Soft blocking

Soft blocking is often used as an advanced technique in the martial arts, or as a main technique in the softer arts like tai chi. Soft blocking uses parries and deflections to direct the force of the hit away from you and, sometimes, to use the opponent’s force against them. Smother blocks could be considered a part of this category, as they “smother” the attack as a soft deflection as well as moving the attack out of the way to deliver a counter.

Absorbing

The body is conditioned early in training to be able to absorb strikes.

Balance and Grounding

A solid connection to the earth is essential in the martial arts. This connection is reinforced by the placement of feet in stances and transition movements. Practice in grounding is weaved together with developing balance, with redirecting the force of strikes or shoves downward into the ground, and with summoning power upward from the ground and directing it through the body with intention.

Aside from the stance and balance, maintaining a strong posture will keep your body rooted and allow your breath to move freely. Maintaining a grounded, balanced stance and good posture can realign your center of gravity for adaptive movement and the most efficient use of your body.

Breath

Breath is a factor that cannot be ignored in any physical movement. Correct breathing, allowing breath to expand from the abdomen through the body, keeps oxygen flowing, preventing muscle weakness. Tense muscles are also slower to act and react.

It is a common mistake to hold your breath, especially in tense situations. Be aware of this tendency. Maintaining regular breathing lets oxygen reach your brain, keeping you alert. The opposite result is confusion and, worst case scenario, unconsciousness.

Mind

Focused practice requires concentration of technique, body awareness, and awareness of surroundings. Just as physical training exercises increase the necessary strength, endurance, speed, and power, training in a controlled environment gradually increases this ability to focus.

Are you beginning to see the holistic way all these elements tie in together to form a streamlined system?

Power

Ultimately, power is channeled through the body using all these principles together...

The strength and stability of the ground feeds your stance and center of gravity. Power is channeled through hip rotation, chambering, and awareness of the direction of an opponent’s force, which can be redirected and manipulated.

The amount of power you unleash on an opponent factors in other physical factors – speed, momentum, positioning, timing, and the positioning of the opponent.

Do you plan on giving these techniques more focus during your next practice? We would love to hear about it! Leave a comment below.

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