Trapping...Does it work?

[joeygil]

While it's true you don't see a lot of trapping during sparring, I wonder if it's an partly an artifact of the equipment. I feel a lot of trapping doesn't work quite so well with boxing gloves on. Seems to work better with those MMA gloves everyone has now. If this is correct, then I would think trapping would work at least as well without gloves on as with MMA gloves.

Any thoughts?


Note: I'm talking about simple trapping, not the complex multi-stage trapping.

[Justthefacts]

Seeing Is Believing

The question should be, does Bruce Lee's trapping work? The answer is, YES! Despite assertions to the contrary from the Teri Tom's of the world, Bruce Lee was practicing and using trapping techiques in the post-Oakland phase of JKD. Sifu Steve Golden told Paul Bax that during a 1967 conversation with Bruce Lee about the effectiveness of chi sao, Bruce asked Sifu Golden to try to stop him as he attacked. Sifu Golden stated that in a matter of seconds, Bruce bridged the gap, pinned Sifu Golden's right arm against his body with a pak sao, and Bruce put his fingers near his eyes and said, "That's my game." I think it's safe to say that Bruce Lee's trapping philosophy involved firing the lead hand before trapping the limb or limbs with the rear hand. Ergo, stories about Bruce Lee landing 3 hits before implementing the trap.

[Tant01]

Hands on...

"Mark,
How's it going? Long time no see. Our group works on making trapping work in the real world. We even have a dvd on it. I too can do a shameless plug.
It's called " Jeet Kune Do: Trapping Hands For combat" We did it for Unique Publications (Inside Kung Fu Magazine). , , , Tim Tackett"

Hi Tim:

Long time indeed. I trust all is well with you. My post about our DVD was in specific response to Flaves's post about trapping on the ground. Not my intention to violate forum etiquette.

Marc

Mark,
It's all good. I didn't know that it was against forum etiquette to talk about your own dvds on this forum. Sorry!
Tim Tackett

It is all good! (what's etiquette.???) LOL

I think when some people think of trapping, they think of:
I punch
You Block
I trap (I guess the hand did not retract to the starting position?)
You block
I trap and then hit

I think in fairness Mr Tackett, the reason most people think that, is because that is what most people in JKD are taught.

[thtackett]

I think when some people think of trapping, they think of:
I punch
You Block
I trap (I guess the hand did not retract to the starting position?)
You block
I trap and then hit
Trapping on the ground is very useful. I know Eric Paulson uses it a lot, so does Jim McCann and Richie Carrion. I will look into getting Crafty Mark's dvd.
Mark,
Have you anything from Puppy Dog Mark lately?
Tim

[Flaves]

Hey, if you guys have DVDs or instructional videos that will help people especially related to a specific topic, I don't think it's bad form in the forum to talk about it. I find that the Lop Sao works well to get someone to cross center line and set up a move when you are on the ground. Also, you can apply the basic Pak Sao trap to trap 2 hands with 1 and strike while you are on top. I'd love to check out your DVD on these concepts, since I have only figured these out on my own and with some friends. Getting specific tips from qualified instructors who develop and apply them, is always welcomed by me. Thanks for posting the link.

Dan

[thtackett]

Mark,
It's all good. I didn't know that it was against forum etiquette to talk about your own dvds on this forum. Sorry!
Tim Tackett

[Crafty Dog]

"Mark,
How's it going? Long time no see. Our group works on making trapping work in the real world. We even have a dvd on it. I too can do a shameless plug.
It's called " Jeet Kune Do: Trapping Hands For combat" We did it for Unique Publications (Inside Kung Fu Magazine). , , , Tim Tackett"

Hi Tim:

Long time indeed. I trust all is well with you. My post about our DVD was in specific response to Flaves's post about trapping on the ground. Not my intention to violate forum etiquette.

Marc

[thtackett]

Real well.

Our group works on making trapping work in the real world.

How's that been working out for you?

[thtackett]

Mark,
How's it going? Long time no see. Our group works on making trapping work in the real world. We even have a dvd on it. I too can do a shameless plug.
It's called " Jeet Kune Do: Trapping Hands For combat" We did it for Unique Publications (Inside Kung Fu Magazine).
You're right my teacher, Dan Inosanto, does not get the credit he deserves. 80% of what is in the dvd I got from him. 20% is what I learned from Bob Bremer.
Tim Tackett

[Crafty Dog]

Forgive me please a moment of shameless marketing, but that is exactly on of the key points of our newest DVD: "Kali Tudo (tm) The Running Dog Game vs. the Guard" See Dog Brothers Inc. Martial Arts for the promo clip.

[Flaves]

you can apply a lot of the trapping concepts to your ground game as well.

[Crafty Dog]

"They don't trust their skills or don't trust the skills presented."

Indeed. Skills untested in the adrenal state, tend not to appear when the adrenal state is created-- and many JKD people do not explore the adrenal state. THIS is the weak link for many IMHO.

[Harima]

My bad... I think I wasn't clear.

I wasn't say trapping doesn't work. I was trying to state in a different thread that trapping does work, and that people don't give it enough credit.

What I have found in my years of study, is that some people will do what they train for, and other will not do what they spent so many years training in. - They don't trust their skills or don't trust the skills presented.

I like trapping, I do use it when the moment arises. I just like to make sure that I don't define my "style" with trapping as the only structure I use. I feel that a lot of people out there do rest on Bruce's efforts alone. They don't try for self-discovery to find what works for them. Which is a shame due to (that is what in my opinion) Bruce was trying to teach self-discovery for what can work for each individual.

It also helps that my current instructed that I learn from was part of the Original Ed Parker crew that also studied with Bruce Lee and even traded information and understand of how skills are progressed.