Shock absorption and deflection

[paradigmer]

A training partner and I were experimenting yesterday with some shock absorbtion and deflection. I haven't played with this for years--really probably since I was first exposed to it by SS.

A couple of observations:

1. Practicing with boxing gloves made it worse. (For the receiver) There's more mass and more "contact patch" hiting the target. Even at moderate speeds, the gloves felt a little worse to deal with as compared to bare knuckle. Maybe I'll MMA gloves next time.

2. Body shots--we were both pretty amazed how hard we could go on each other to the body. We took incremental steps in velocity to help the partner relax and not tense up. If you really relax and become fluid you can "take" a pretty hard shot.

3. Muay Thai kicks. We threw some leg kicks initially with the partner just "taking it" so as to have a point of calibration and reference. (great fun--try it sometime :) Then, we were working being fluid and again....huge difference in what you can absorb/re-direct.

4. Relaxing. This is perhaps the biggest challenge--really relaxing and not tensing up. I tried this one exercise which SS use to do but i wasn't able. you lie on the floor and let a person step on your stomach. I have very developed ab muscles and a very strong core and I can contract and just take it no problem. That wasn't the point though....I've seen people including SS completely relax and their guts just squish to the floor! I really have some work to do in that area. I just can't seem to "let go" lol

Is anyone else here experimenting with this stuff? Any other observations?

[Coach Jones]

Paradigmer,

Please modify your signature to show your full- real name. It's forum policy and keeps things running smoothly.

As to Shock Absorbtion...

Sounds like you're doing some good work there. Just remember, Shock Absorbtion is an attribute and not a skill. What I mean is, RMAX is not suggesting the attributes acquired through this important method of training be used in combat sport or self-defense as a tactic. In other words you don't go into a fight with the idea that if the opponent throws a blow you are going to absorb it.

Through training in this manner, you develop a better ability to deal with incoming force when things go wrong.

[paradigmer]

Coach Jones,

Thanks for the reply. I think I fixed my signature.

I am familiar with developing and working with shock absorption as an attribute. I mainly do bjj/muay thai for combative training and just work shock absorption occassionaly to work on relaxing and to work on bio-mechanics.

Coach Sonnon worked with me on this about 10 years ago and every now and then I pull it out of the closet to play with a little.

Any thoughts on how to "let go" and relax while someone is standing on your abdomen? That's a tough one for me...

[Coach Jones]

Any thoughts on how to "let go" and relax while someone is standing on your abdomen? That's a tough one for me...

The best advice I can think of is to just approach it incrementally. Have your training partner apply only pressure that you can relax into comfortably. Then, when that is easy, increase the pressure only a little - and so on.

Because it's not a complicated thing, people get in their own way by trying to apply to much pressure to fast and that just imbeds the fear reactivity and makes it harder to relax into.

[Scott Sonnon]

Michael,

The tools have evolved over the years with improvements in coaching application. I take responsibility for this, since I was still teaching "ROSS". In other words, I inappropriately applied them as "skills" rather than as "attributes" to be incorporated within the structure of the delivery system. This is why I asked RMAX to remove the old ROSS era videos from RMAX, since we're primarily about performance against other martial artists now.

For MMA, striking shock absorption must stay within the 'form' of the delivery system. For instance, the shock absorption I taught a decade ago was actually too stylistically "Russian martial artsy", which will get you clobbered in an MMA match. In MMA, shock absorption is within the stance and movement of the specific engagement; i.e. the dynamic stance which is wider, looser and lower than in kickboxing but shallower , tighter and higher than in grappling.

The step-on-belly drill is a stunt. It's designed to demonstrate a certain aspect of core activation and breath depth relative to the individual development. For instance, how I breath and activate my core tension selectively will be less active than a beginning or even intermediate athlete, as I am able to allow the expulsion of greater supplementary volume while generating the appropriate protective tension for my organs... in that drill. It's specific to the delivery system.

When I work with Jiujitsu fighters, we work within the structure of the positional fear... where their breathing comfort becomes displaced by their fear of technical incompetence. For many beginning jiujitsu players, they are just learning how to relax in the guard, so they hold their breath as they get stacked up, compressed, or hugged. But brilliant as jiujitsu is, for some athletes it takes longer to get this 'relaxed' or 'jiu' art of breathing in the guard.

For many novice jiujitsu players, the farther they are on the positional flow chart from bringing someone back into guard, the more they feel in potential danger. For instance, they may feel that they are in trouble when mounted, back mounted, or even in side control. They haven't yet applied their breath mastery from the guard into these 'distant' positions from their zone of comfort (the guard.).

Therefore, the core activation RMAX provides is less like an accelerator and more like taking off the emergency break. It's position or rather fear-reactivity specific, and as a result individualistic. Even advanced players can develop fear-reactive 'bubbles' depending upon an unmeritorious event, or repeatedly unsuccessful engagement. When the ego 'judges' the performance, then the breath may down-shift, and create problems.

Here's where shock absorption can be used as a drill to apply the attribute more successfully, and as a result, the mental/emotional blocks can be leveraged out of through physical exercise.

Does that make sense? I know it's far distant from how we did it 10 or 15 years ago, but I personally have had and the coaches as a staff have had a lot of individualized and group practice to refine these tools.

[paradigmer]

That makes a ton of sens. Thanks for writing that.

I REALLY need to come by and getting the latest "install" :) My RMAX software needs upgraded to the current version :)

[Chuck Kechter]

Coach Sonnon,

That was an excellent write up of the evolution(ary) aspect of shock absorbtion in particular with some "hidden" nuggets for RMAX/CST in general.

Thank you!

[JasonE]

Coach Sonnon,

That was an excellent write up of the evolution(ary) aspect of shock absorbtion in particular with some "hidden" nuggets for RMAX/CST in general.

Thank you!

Absolutely! Next time I view "Shock-Ability", it will be with new eyes. Thanks!

[Coach Jones]

Beautifully stated, boss!

I smell an article!;)