Hi Michael and thank you for the reply!
I am sure everyone is very busy, but I am still holding out hope that we can discuss this with everyone based on our experiences.
I'll throw some more out there for consideration.
More about inside deflection. It bugs me! LOL! It bugs me that EVERYONE teaches it but it seems that it can't be done! Why is that? It makes me think that *I* am missing something here... I just can't see something so widely taught being so non-functional...
So I have set out to do an experiment
I am using a padded rattan stick and the old Macho cage and some bag gloves. I am having my partner throw angle 1's at me in various ways at various speeds and various power.
My Goal is to inside deflect an angle one FULL speed and FULL power. Why? Because if I can, I feel that the process I took to get there will teach me allot!
Right now these are some things I have found regarding the infamous inside deflection:
Zero pressure! (This will be hard to explain without pictures)
Sticks in right hand in a right lead. When he swings, the power reaches its top point when his elbow comes to his ribs his centerline. From this point on, the strike is on the down stroke of the power cycle. The more it reaches his left shoulder, the less power it has!
The problem seems two fold. First, it seems too fast a strike, second the "block" crashes, crumbles under the pressure. So, I experimented and found at slow and medium speed that if I ZONE towards zero pressure, I can DO the inside deflection! When wee speed it up to full speed and power, the problem comes because I can't get to zero pressure fast enough, so it's a matter of footwork! Related is timing, and visual sensitivity.
So seeing as I can't seem to get all the way over to "zero pressure" in time, I experimented with ways to "enforce" the structure of the block. So I found that by keeping the alive hand ON the stick as I block it adds much more structural integrity AND I am able to slide the hand off and sometimes actually check the hand and most of the time grab the stick! try it yourself in a progression and you'll see!
So why am I so concerned with this? Because while I LOVE the new JKD movement of "functional" JKD I have one problem we are not fighting in what Burton has called "trading zone" I know in a way we are with greco and Muay Thai, but it becomes grappling. WHY? JKD used to be known for fighting in that range, Kali Panantukan, Jun Fan/Wing Chun trapping, Silat etc... Empty hands or unarmed, we either stay long range or we rush through "trading Zone" and grapple...
So, I believe that we need to approach those "arts/tools" with a functional progression. Don't get me wrong, I spend 80% of my time doing JKDU curriculum because I can trust that to work for me! But the other 20% I am in the lab! LOL! I now am rolling Chi Sao with equipment so we can strike hard and allowing grappling meaning my partner can tackle or what ever and I try to use HITTING to stop him from doing that.
I am doing un-attached trapping drills as well, meaning he can kickbox and grapple and I try to use only striking to centerline and trapping to keep striking. The main problem again I find is FOOTWORK!
Anyway I have more findings LOL! But am hoping for other input.
It's great that we have Greco and muay Thai and Bjj, but how cool would it be to again have kali silat and jun fan? And have it WORK! I think it is on US to find out WHY we can't use these things... Forget styles, look at it biomechanically...
Anyway thats my Idea...
Sincerely,
-Rick