I flinch WAY too much. I mean, I fall for it almost every time someone jumps at me or a bee flies around me. Why do you think this happens so much, do you nave any training tips/advice I can try to help reduce the flinching? Thanks alot.
Flinching is a natural reflect action that comes as a response to an unforseen threat. It is a defense mechanism. In my opinion, you do not want to get rid of that mechanisms. Now others may or may not disagree. They might say that if you flinch then you might be succeptable to fakes and will get hammered by counters and blah blah blah.
Let's look at the greatest movie in cheesy Kung Fu history, "The Last Dragon". Rent it if you have not already seen it.
When our hero Leroy Green meets his nemesis Sho'nuff the shogun of harlem has a few word for him.
"Well if it aint the serious (throws a punch an inch from Leroy's face), elusive (another punch close), Leroy Green (while throwing a few more punches). Leroy didn't flinch one bit but never took his eye off of Sho'nuff. That sounds cool ay?
But skip forward to the dojo scene. Bruce Leroy is all in his Bruce Lee yellow (Game of Death) tracksuit when Sho'nuff comes in the joint. He challenges Bruce Leroy but he refuses to fight him. Sho'nuff suggests that he may be more interested in fighting his lady students. They then start throwing punches and kicks at him without connecting and he doesn't even flinch once. Then one of the punches makes contact and he wasn't even aware that it was gonna connect because he didn't have the reflex.
Ofcourse I only reference this movie cause it's one of my all time favorite cheesy kungfu american flix and it came to mind during that quote thread and then this one. I loved that movie. When am I gonna get the glow? lol
Must agree on both points. Bruce Leeroy way to cool for school.
Also on a more serious point, flinching is good, but only if you do something with it i.e. launch an attack from your flinch. Of course you probably finch because you are waiting round too long. It is a sign that your opponent is dictating the fight and not you.
Your flinching will disappear as you become more confident in your space and learn to ditate the fight. Tactically apply pressure on your opponent so they do not have time to try a make you flinch.
By this I do not mean go at him untill your knackered. I mean e.g. if he moves to you, kick him in the legs. Do not just throw legs out, move to him.
Stand in a corner with your hands behind your back, and concentrate on keeping your eyes open as much as possible. Your partner throws punches at your face with gloves on, not FULL contact, just enough to sting a bit.
Flinching is a natural response to a stimuli;it's apart of your defensive system.I wouldn't try to work on that and try to stop flinching because it is natural and you need to flinch.
Let say someone throws sand at your face and you don't flinch........you can't see anymore and you're in vulnerable position.Same with a lot of things,it's a reflex,try to use it at your advantage:trigger for a punch etc...
Regards
Edd
Yes, flinching is a natural response. When in a combat situation, you DO NOT want to flinch (I'm thinking of flinching as closing your eyes as if that would help). I will throw a feint, as you flinch I'm gonna get you and the last thing you will remember is my fake when you wake up.
If your referring to flinching as more of a "recoil" if you were thrown a fake...well that can be debated I guess. Having a good sense of distance, you should be able to guage pretty accurately if the blow is gonna land or not. I would personally work on NOT flinching. Just allows your apponent an opening because you hesitated.
Matt
This message has been edited by N0D14C on Dec 5, 2003 3:11 PM
You beat me on that one Jiyasa,but what I wanted to make clear is that if is a natural response or a reflex,you'd better not train to avoid it,better use it as a trigger.
for example if someone comes at you a natural response would be to protect your head or put your arms in the way.use this to clinch your opponent or to put momentum in your kicks by moving your arms back (look at old savate arm extensions).
Regards
Edd
To me flinching is a natural response or what we may call a defense mechanism. If for example something comes toward one's face, like a ball, hand or fist ones natural response is to snap ones head back and out of the way. It is apart of our survival instincts. Reflexes are faster than conscious thoughts. So one's head jurking back in response to something coming toward ones face is a heck of alot faster than one's conscious thought of "Hey, there is a fist. Let me just move out of range". You could develop better responses but the flinching is the trigger to move, which happens in a split second. Watch a good boxer, he get's tons of fast fists targeted at his face. During a punch targeted at his face the initial spark is the flinch/reflex action/defense mechanism which leads to the initial action by his head to be out harms way. It is then followed by his training of ducking, bobbing and weaving. It is all sparked by that initial flinch. The eyes do not necessarily have to close more than a blink.
I would have to disagree. A flinch is a uncontroled responce. There by making you very set up to but hit. As you flinch you focus on the one nt the second . So it can very well be used aginst you. As a follow up to what is to come. You never want to over react to avanceing strike kick ect. You will in most cases fall prey to the follow up. The boxer does not flinch A slight weave is an evasive move A flinch is a unconditioned responce of fear per say. Which is an advanced over reaction to the lets say strike. Allways try to over come this weakness Or it will be your down fall every time. It kind of like being afraid of getting hit. Do not worry what may be done just try to do what you can do. We all get hit. But much less if we do not flinch at a srike. befor it is there to hit use. Head turning is the samme as the flinch a protective over responce to the strike. As far as the bruce lewroy thing he was being humble and showed he would not stoop to fighting at that time Had nothing to do with a flinch or the hit it was an allowed strike. But it was a movie first with controled and set action. There is a big difference there. Work on reducing and controling the flinch action and you will improve or if not you never will
Aruden, you said we shouldn't try to change our natural reactions. If that is so, then don't do martial arts because martial arts replaces our natural punches (haymakers) with leading straights, rear cross's etc.
Like I said, some people would say that one's natural response to flinching can be used against one. Yes it can and I am not totally disagreeing with anyone. One can condition the response to suit them. The initial reflex action can be a godsend because it is so instantaneous. It's the first spark to movement that one may condition oneself to achieve a counter to whatever movement they could perceive. When a punch enters your line of fire the spark of defense (flinch) may well be followed by bobbing or weaving or trapping etc. You must choose how to follow it up.
dude. dont listen to these guys.. dont let yourself get hit dats just totally pointles.. have you ever heard a teacher tell his student to go out there and get beaten up? my advise is to sparr alot! then your reflexes would sharpen reacting differently to strikes coming at you.. you would acquire weaving,parrying, bobing your head backwards, step slide retreating, slide step retreating. countering a punch by your own punch.. listen to jiyasa he said stand with your back on a wall and let some1 hit you? wtf man? then your default reaction would be getting hit in fights and just painfully accepting those blows.. wat advise would you take his or mine? and sparring will get you better in most aspects of fighting..
This message has been edited by jeetboy on Dec 7, 2003 9:35 PM
OK I know some teachers who would advocate taking punishment so that you get used to it. Some styles actually condition themselves specifically for this, waiting for that one opening for the knockout blow. The particular one I am thinking of is a kung fu style known as "GOD" kung Fu. The problem with this is you will always get someone with a more powerful strike than you are conditioned to take. Thus training to take hits, is not necessarily the most intelligent route.
As I said before you will only stop flinching when you are confident in your abilities.
ok im mistaken by asking if there is such thing as a teacher like that.. coz im making it sound like there is no such thing... ya but i could say if there are teachers like that it wouldnt be the smartest way handle a punch by your opponent.. and i would say that,that teacher is foolish for teaching in that manner...agree?
Some martial artists today look at making use of the flinch response rather than doing away with it. That's the idea behind Richard Ryan's shield, Tony Blauer's spear, and (from what I can tell) the SBG "crazy monkey".
Unfortunately "jeetboy" (student of Joey "ankle flicker" Perico) lacks the intelligence to understand any training method which doesn't involve flicking your ankle 7 times in a second.
When am I gonna get the glow? lol