Working stab defenses but many of the drill today also emphasized footwork and body centering relative to the opponent.
Main approach to evading stabs is moving the body offline. All these stabs thrown from long distance (step through to attack). Core drill is, both partners move around just outside of weapons distance. Move and track your feeder as usual, but when he stabs, put your weapon out in front of you vertically and use it as a reference point to move your body’s center out of line of the stab, while also remaining square to the feeder. This stick positioning is just for the drill. In reality you would be hitting.
- Vertical pushups, high stab and low stab position
- Tracking drill as above, multiple rounds
- Work above with counterattacks
We then got into a twirling hit (abanico) defense to the stab, whereby from that vertical stick position from the above drill, as you offline you do a twirling hit that ends up with your stick cutting forward and upward from the inside. With the right hand it is a counter-clockwise motion. Body drops with it, but throw the hit first.
- Work the above, just work the hit and body drop with your partner
- Add high stab followup (roll it off as a continuation of the abanico / figure 8)
- Work light sparring drill as the first, but with this counter mixed in
We ended up with some sparring rounds (hunt hand or all targets / zoned punches)