BRUCE LEE extensively researched Western boxing, watching films of boxing matches and reading many books on the subject. He was so enamored by the “sweet science” that he incorporated a great deal of its footwork and its punching methodology into his Jeet Kune Do. Western boxers are taught how to punch in combination, that is, to throw multiple punches with one or both hands, usually to different targets. It is no surprise, therefore, that Lee grafted the concept of punching combinations from Western boxing onto his martial art. However, he expanded it to include kicking combinations and mixed hand and foot combinations. This approach became known as Attack by Combination (ABC).
ABC
In many cases a Single Direct Attack or Single Angulated Attack will not succeed in stopping an attacker. Your opponent may be too quick for you, able to easily defend against your single strikes. This is where a different approach, such as ABC, can prove very useful. ABC can be characterized as two or more strikes that flow in a natural sequence, usually to more than one target. So, even if your opponent can fend off your single attacks, it will be more difficult to consistently defend against multiple strikes delivered in this manner. In order to successfully use ABC, you must make several elements work in tandem with each other. These are as follows:
- Timing: In order to effectively apply ABC, you must attempt to land each strike at the appropriate moment, either when a selected target is already exposed or when your opponent exposes the target. Therefore, you have to pay careful attention to your opponent’s responses to ensure that you do not land a strike in an area that is well covered or protected. Instead, watch to see how your opponent reacts and which areas of the body are left uncovered as a result of these reactions. That will guide you as to which strikes to implement.
For instance, if you throw a lead jab to the head and your opponent raises both arms to defend against it, you can follow up with a rear cross to the midsection, which is now exposed. As another illustration using a similar combination, suppose you throw a lead punch to the stomach. If your opponent drops his or her hand to try to parry it, you can then throw a rear cross to the chin, which is now exposed. - Distance: In order for your strikes to score on your opponent, you must be at the proper distance for each of the specific techniques that you execute. While a kick can be thrown from a farther distance, an extended punch can only land if you are closer. Likewise, a knee or an elbow strike must be executed at close range in order to hit the target. Therefore, you must adjust your distance to facilitate the particular techniques that you are throwing. Moreover, you must be aware of any change in your opponent’s position, whether it closes or opens the distance.
For example, suppose that you move in from long range with a lead hook kick at your opponent’s front thigh. After executing the kick, you can step down and fire a lead straight punch to your opponent’s chin because you have bridged the gap into medium range. However, if your opponent retreats after your kick, he or she may be out of range for your lead straight punch. In that case you may want to follow up with a kick, which is capable of reaching your opponent. - Speed: There are two kinds of speed that are of primary concern in ABC. One is the speed of each individual strike—that is, how quickly each strike can reach its intended target, known as movement speed. Each of the individual techniques that make up the combination must be thrown as quickly as you can to hit the target before your opponent has a chance to defend. Otherwise, you will find the target protected before you can reach it.
The other kind of speed is combination speed, which refers to how quickly you can flow from one strike to the next in the sequence. You must not only land your initial strike at the intended target, but also land any subsequent strikes at the other targets before your opponent can react to them. If your combinations are thrown too slowly, your opponent may react quickly enough to counter each individual strike. Therefore, you must execute your strikes at a fast enough pace that your opponent cannot keep up.
At the same time, do not throw your combinations so quickly that you fail to take advantage of your opponent’s reactions to individual strikes. For instance, if you merely blitz your opponent’s head with multiple strikes while he or she keeps both arms up to protect it, you are neglecting the opportunity to attack any open areas. So regulate your speed in accordance with your opponent’s reactions.
When a student starts to learn ABC, there is a tendency to execute the techniques too quickly, resulting in a loss of form and proper mechanics. Be sure that, as you learn different combinations, you execute each of the underlying techniques correctly. Otherwise, your combination will be sloppy.
- Accuracy: Each of the individual strikes that make up ABC must accurately hit the intended target in order to be effective. If you intend to kick your opponent’s groin but miss and kick the thigh, you have not accomplished what you set out to do. Likewise, if try to punch your opponent’s chin but end up striking only air, that punch has gone to waste.
- Natural Flow: Each strike must flow into the next strike in a smooth and unstilted manner. This facilitates speed, economy of motion, and directness. If you move from one technique to the next with awkward, clumsy, and unnatural pauses in-between, you will probably not land your strikes on their targets.
Also, the strikes must flow in a natural, logical sequence. For instance, a lead jab followed by a rear cross is a tried and true sequence. Like-wise, a lead hook kick followed by a lead straight punch works well. However, a lead finger jab followed by a rear hook kick is rather awkward because you have to halt your motion after the finger jab to set yourself up to do the rear hook kick. Similarly, the combination of a lead backfist followed by a lead hook punch does not flow well because you must bring your fist all the way back to the other side to execute the hook punch.
Use of Feints and False Attacks in ABC
While you often will try to actually land each strike in ABC, sometimes you may wish to include feints and false attacks with strikes that are intended to score. You use the feints and false attacks as ways to set up your opponent for the final blow. The purpose of employing the feints and false attacks is to entice your opponent to respond in a way that exposes the real target area for your finishing strike.
For instance, you can feint both a jab and a rear cross to induce your opponent to parry with the rear hand. When the rear hand moves away from the side of your opponent’s head, you strike that area with a lead hook punch. As another illustration, you can feint a jab to rear cross combination to draw your opponent’s arms up. When the arms are raised, you can land a lead side kick to the midsection, which is exposed.
Use of Rhythm in ABC
To make your ABC even more effective, you can vary the rhythm of your strikes. In other words, rather than launch each strike in a uniform pattern of time, vary the speed of the individual strikes and the length of pauses between them. If you maintain a consistent, uniform pattern of timing in your combinations, your opponent can mimic your pattern and time each of your strikes. This will make it easy for him or her to defend against each of them. However, if you break the rhythm by slowing down or speeding up the strikes, as well as lengthening or shortening the pauses in-between, it will be more difficult for your opponent to time your hits. You will be able to insert your strikes in-between your opponent’s motions, when areas are left exposed.
As a way to illustrate this principle, we will examine a few variations in the way you can execute a combination in which you start with a lead hook kick, followed by a lead finger jab, which is then followed by a rear cross. The speed of each individual strike will be designated either as “fast” or “slow.” The length of time in-between strikes will be designated as either “long” or “short.”
- Fast/Short/Fast/Short/Fast: In this example each strike is executed at top speed, with very little pause in-between. It is as if you are firing a machine gun at your opponent, because the strikes are coming one right after another. This is useful against an opponent who tries to keep up with you but is always one step behind.
- Fast/Long/Fast/Short/Fast: This time the only difference is that there is a longer pause between the lead hook kick and the lead finger jab. When you resume with the finger jab, everything moves in rapid, machine-gun fashion. The long pause between the lead hook punch and the lead finger jab can give you an opportunity to assess your opponent’s reaction. If it is appropriate, you can then fire off the remaining strikes quickly.
- Fast/Short/Fast/Long/Slow: In this instance the lead hook kick and lead finger jab are thrown very quickly, with little pause. Then there is a pause before you throw the final strike, the rear cross. That punch is thrown at a slower speed. The idea here is that your opponent becomes conditioned to your first two strikes, which are delivered rapidly. Then, because your opponent expects the next strike to also be quick, he or she overreacts. You can then strike with the rear cross, taking advantage of your opponent’s early reaction.
- Slow/Long/Slow/Long/Fast: In this example you throw your lead hook kick relatively slowly and pause before throwing the lead finger jab. Then, after a pause, you suddenly speed up in throwing the rear cross. The first two strikes basically lull your opponent into thinking you have a slow rhythm, and he or she is caught off guard when you spring the surprise of a quick rear cross.
- Slow/Long/Fast/Short/Fast: In this illustration your lead hook kick moves relatively slowly, and you pause. You suddenly fire a quick finger jab followed quickly by a rapid rear cross. The lead hook kick sets the pace by leading your opponent to think you are not that fast. You suddenly follow with two rapidly delivered strikes that catch your opponent unawares.
Examples of ABC
ABC can be categorized into four primary types: (1) hand to hand, (2) foot to foot, (3) hand to foot, and (4) foot to hand. In the following sections, we will examine examples of each.
Hand to Hand
This category of ABC refers to combinations in which hand strikes are thrown in logical, flowing combinations. Each of the hand strikes that make up these combinations can be launched with the intention of scoring. Alternately, you can throw the first one or two strikes as feints or false attacks, with only the final strike intended to land. The following are examples where each strike is intended to score.
• Lead Jab-Rear Cross: In this combination you can fire a lead jab to your opponent’s nose, which should knock the head back slightly (see Figure 14-1). Then you follow up with a rear cross to the chin (see Figure 14-2), to knock your opponent backward, hopefully onto the ground. Another possibility is that you drop down and fire the rear cross at the midsection to cause your opponent to bend over, giving you the opportunity for another follow-up strike. This is the classic combination known as the “one-two” in Western boxing.
• Lead Jab-Lead Hook Punch: In this example you fire a lead jab to your opponent’s nose to knock back the head slightly. While your opponent is momentarily stunned, you can follow up with a lead hook punch to the side of the jaw, knocking him or her off to the side. Instead of throwing the lead hook punch to the head, you can throw it lower against your opponent’s side. This combination is often referred to as the “one-three” in Western boxing.
• Lead Jab-Rear Cross-Lead Hook Punch: This combination is known as the “one-two-three” in Western boxing. After firing your lead jab at your opponent’s face, you follow with a rear cross to the face. Then you finish with a lead hook punch to the jaw. You can also fire the rear cross at the midsection instead of the face and follow with a lead hook punch to the body.
Watch any kind of Western boxing match, and you will see attack by combination being used frequently. The ones that you will see most commonly are double jab, jab-cross, and jab-hook. Combinations are the bread and butter of boxing at any level.
Foot to Foot
This category of ABC refers to combinations in which kicks are thrown in naturally flowing succession. In many cases you will launch each individual kick with the intent to strike a target. In other cases you may wish to set up your opponent with feints and false attacks and finish with a kick that is intended to score. The following examples illustrate combinations in which each kick is intended to land.
- Lead Snap Kick-Lead Snap Kick: In this combination, you throw a lead snap kick at your opponent’s groin area. If your opponent retreats, you track him or her with your footwork and throw a second lead snap kick at the groin. The second snap kick should have more power behind it than the first one.
- Lead Snap Kick-Lead Hook Kick: This example shows how you can kick along one line and follow with a kick along a different line. You start with a lead snap kick to strike your opponent’s groin area. If your opponent does not step back, you can follow with a lead hook kick to the ribs. If your opponent does step back, then your lead hook kick can be aimed at the thigh or knee. After the initial kick you can set your front foot down and spring up into the hook kick. Another option is to keep your front foot in midair immediately after striking the groin with the lead snap kick, then shift immediately into a lead hook kick without setting the foot down.
- Lead Hook Kick-Rear Hook Kick: This combination involves shifting from one foot to another in combination. You first fire a lead hook kick at your opponent, for example, at the lead thigh area. If your opponent then steps back into the opposite lead, you can throw a rear hook kick at the knee, thigh, groin, or other target area. The rear hook kick has a longer reach because your opponent has opened the distance by changing leads. Also, the change of leads means that your opponent’s vulnerable targets have switched sides, so you switch your attacking tools to access those target areas.
Hand to Foot
This category of ABC involves following a hand strike with a kick. It generally requires you to move from a strike aimed at the upper body to a strike intended for the lower body of your opponent. Also, because the hands have a shorter reach then the legs, it also means a shift in distance. The following are some examples of hand to foot combinations in which each strike is intended to score. Keep in mind that the hand strike can also be a feint or false attack, followed by a kick that actually lands.
- Lead Finger Jab-Lead Snap Kick: The lead finger jab is thrown while you are in, or as you enter, medium range and is aimed at your opponent’s eyes. After the finger jab lands, if your opponent steps back, he or she will likely be out of range for another hand technique. You can then follow with a lead snap kick to the groin. This combination can be quite effective because your opponent’s attention will be diverted to the eyes when you finger jab them, which opens up the groin for your kick.
- Lead Straight Punch-Lead Hook Kick: From medium range you launch the lead straight punch at the face, which knocks your opponent back. If he or she steps out of range for a follow-up punch, you can fire a lead hook kick to whatever target is available, which will most likely be somewhere in the lower body.
- Lead Backfist-Lead Side Kick: This time you throw the lead backfist against the face, which propels your opponent back. Assuming that your opponent steps so far back that you cannot follow with another hand technique, such as a rear cross, you can follow with a lead side kick. The kick can be directed to the midsection, the front knee, or the front thigh, depending upon which target is within range.
This final category of ABC refers to combinations in which you initially launch a kick at your opponent and follow up with a hand strike. This generally involves using the kick to move from long range into medium range where you can finish with the hand strike. It also involves shifting from a strike to the lower body of your opponent to a strike to the upper body. The following are some examples of foot to hand combinations in which each strike is intended to score. However, remember that the initial foot strike can also be a feint or false attack to set up your opponent for the finishing hand strike.
- Lead Snap Kick-Lead Finger Jab: You start by firing the lead snap kick to your opponent’s groin. With your opponent’s attention directed toward the lower body, you follow with a lead finger jab to the eyes. The kick takes you from long range into medium range, where you can reach your opponent with the finger jab. Both strikes are launched in a forward motion, and, therefore work well in combination.
- Lead Hook Kick-Lead Straight Punch: From long range you can advance toward your opponent with a lead hook kick, to the knee or thigh, for example. As soon as you land the kick, your front foot steps down, placing you in position for punching. You then follow with a lead straight punch to your opponent’s face. The initial kick serves to bring your opponent’s attention to the lower body, so that he or she is not focusing on defending the upper body against your hand strike.
• Lead Side Kick-Lead Backfist: From long range you advance toward your opponent with a lead side kick aimed at the front knee (see Figure 14-3). After the kick lands, your front foot steps down. You follow with a lead backfist to your opponent’s face (see Figure 14-4). The lead backfist is a logical choice for a hand strike because of the way the side of your body faces your opponent when you finishthe side kick. It would be difficult to fire a straight punch or finger jab from that position.
Besides these primary categories of ABC, you can throw combinations involving other tools, such as the knees and the elbows. Combinations can be composed of two, three, four, or even five or more techniques, depending upon the circumstances. When you take into account all the various striking tools, the different strikes, and the variations in rhythm that can be implemented, the number of combinations that you can do is virtually limitless. To focus on the basics, however, your combinations should be two or three strikes in sequence.
