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« on: October 27, 2003, 03:12:59 PM »
David wrote:
"If a practitioner is very good in snake range, do you find it more difficult if he is using single or double stick?"
Hmmm...Guro Crafty has shown me things to look for when fighting double stick, and this has made it much easier for me to fight using doubles. However, I feel that when I watch Crafty move with two sticks it can be hard to discern what strikes are coming. I feel that he has an ambidexterity that i lack (but am working on..) that makes both hands equally dangerous. While watching double stick fights however, you'll notice that many people have a dominant hand and do not fully utilize their other side. In single stick people focus on their stick hand and seem to use a wider range of angles (as well as put more emotional content into their strikes) which can also make them hard to read. So I feel as if I'm rambling, so to make it short, I feel both can be equally as difficult (or easy).
David wrote:
"For that reason, I figured double sticks would be harder than single...to read, avoid, etc. Do you find differences in that sense between empty hand and stick fighting?"
My empty hand is not all that great (one reason I like weapons), and when you integrate more variables there is of course more to keep track of. But I feel whether it is boxing, kickboxing, grappling, stick fighting, etc., you will see certain structures. In grappling, when I'm in the guard, I go over a checklist of things I can do, reversals, submissions, etc. I also go over what my opponent is doing, passing the guard, punching, etc. Although stickfighting can move incredibly fast, I try to keep a similar mental checklist. If my opponent does this, I do this. If I can draw my opponent here, I can do this. So whether it is boxing, wrestling, stick, etc. I have a go-to checklist of things i like to do, and so therefore things are only difficult when i dont have an answer for them yet. Just boxing with jabs can be difficult if you don't know how to slip or parry, I think it's all just a matter of researching and experiencing, and even seemingly more complex things like double stick can be broken down and made easier.
Brian