Controlling the Counterattack

When there is chaos, the techniques you have mastered flawlessly in the training hall don’t work as intended. They may work, but only partially, and often not at all. Why? Because your opponent is not cooperating, he or she is struggling to escape the onslaught of your attack, and he is intent on winning the fight. The effectiveness of a technique is always measured against the chaos of the attack. If you can’t end the fight now, you can at least limit your opponent’s ability to counterattack. You can buy time through intimidation tactics and mental control, and maybe save yourself from further assault. Striking or kicking seldom satisfies this need, however, because strikes and kicks are generally not effective for controlling your opponent’s movement. By contrast, techniques that stifle movement generally stifle the opponent’s ability to counterattack. These are the techniques we will explore in this book. Formidable Fighter: The Complete Series, a compilation of all 14 books in this series, is available in both electronic and print format.