A question for Mike Brewer

[Aaron04]

Hi Mike, I've read many of your posts and know you are a PFS guy under Vunak. I was wondering what type of strategies you like to use when you are in the first phase of RAT (long range). Am I correct in assuming that you would use RAT in a streetfight? I like to get out in long range and wait for my opponent to throw a punch or kick, and either destroy it or intercept it. This usually works quite well. I was wondering if you have (or Vu gave you) any tips for making this strategy more effective. I like to use fake jabs when my opponent starts getting closer, to get his attention up, then shuffle kick to the groin. I've found this to work quite well. Do you have any other methods to make this strategy more effective?

Thanks, Aaron

[Aaron04]

Hi Mike, thank you for your reply. As far as my question being overly broad, please allow me to narrow it down and be more specific. I was refering to being in a streetfight (or non-contact sparring match) and being "full blown" in Phase one. I know that using an interception or destruction is the most effective way to enter into the straight blast. Therein lies my question. In the first phase of the fight, do you have certain principles or techniques, such as feinting, that you like to use to facilitate the interception/destruction? I've read posts where you talked about sparring with Vunak, and about how he liked to do certain things to make intercepting/destroying easier. So in that situation, where there are no third parties to protect, no weapons involved, etc, how would you deal with Phase one of the fight? Thanks

[bigred389]

I'd run into the point of his elbow and cry like a 6 year old girl.

OWWWWW!!

And you didn't break anything? Sounds like the old blood and guts school of thought to me.

[Aaron04]

Thank you.

[Aaron04]

That's very true. I've been doing exactly that, training realistically and seeing what works and what doesn't. I've trained with Vunak before, so I'm very familiar with RAT. He told me that RAT is the best way to go and I generally believed him, but now that I've trained a lot more since then against many different types of fighters, I see a lot more clearly why it actually works. We didn't cover the in-depth stuff as I was much less experienced back then, we stuck with the basics (RAT, basic BJJ, Kino Mutai, de-fanging the snake).

I've been watching a lot of his videos lately, and am very impressed by his abilities, especially at long range. Did he pass on to you any strategies that he likes to use such as fakes, types of footwork, ways of setting up the progressive indirect attack, which lead he likes to use, a certain direction he likes to use his footwork in, in relation to his opponents lead, etc.?


Thank you

[Aaron04]

Ahhh, come on, lol!