Skip to main content

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS by Mark Hatmaker

 


According to some word-mavens the origin of the maxim “the devil is in the details” refers to the convoluted language that the legal profession started using to Baroque excesses in Victorian England. A contract that might look good on the surface may have a lot of bad tidings hidden in the fine print-the details. We’ve seen the same thing as of late with folks realizing that their mortgage contract isn’t quite as sweet as they once thought.

 

          The devil is also in the details of the fighting arts. Let’s face it, there are only so many ways to kick, punch, elbow, knee, head-butt, choke, lock, crank, rip a human being. We’re not going to see that much more in left-field innovation unless humans suddenly sprout a new appendage we can strike with or attack. That really only leaves one place to go with innovation, creativity, and malicious ingenuity and that is towards reverse engineering.

 

          We must turn our attention to the “known secrets” (oxymoronic, I know) and work to understand every familiar offensive and defensive technique inside and out. We must de-construct them, pull them apart if you will so, that we can better understand just why a jab is so effective. Why a bar and chancery works so well at a 45 degree and down angle but not nearly as well at a 50 degree and lateral angle. We’ve got to play with the shin kick and see whether we fire more pain receptors at 2 inches above the knee, 4 inches above the knee and, so on and so forth.

 

          So, it’s not so much what’s new under the sun as it is using the sun to illuminate what’s already out in the open. Just as the fine print is what will bite you in that mortgage contract it is the minute details working in tandem that makes the rear overhand or chin hook crank from the intelligent veteran far more effective and devastating than that of the relative rookie. That rookie may throw something that looks exactly like an overhand or, he may slap on a chin hook crank and it may be uncomfortable but, there is often something missing—the detail work.

 

          Let’s put a fine point on seeking devilish details by reverse engineering a punch to its fundamental essence—the weapon itself—the fist. There are more than a few schools of thought regarding striking with the horizontal fist, the vertical fist, the ¾ fist (natural position) but I want us to regress even further, taking nothing for granted, let’s examine the striking surface itself.

 

          Again, we have a few schools of thought here, some aver that striking with the two-prominent knuckles (of the index and middle fingers) is the way to go, others proclaim that it’s not the first two knuckles but, the flat of the index and middle finger phalanges, and there is yet another school of thought (pugilism) that emphasizes the flat surface of the last three phalanges (middle, ring, and little finger). Let’s look at these three in a bit of detail evaluating the claims.

 

          The Prominent Knuckle proponents point to the slight protrusions of these two knuckles and inform us that these knuckles allow us penetration power via the reduced striking surface. Striking surface reduction does indeed increase the likelihood of weapon penetration but, this argument seems to ignore what class of weapon the fist is—it is a blunt clubbing tool. If we want to increase target penetration why not forgo the fist and use the half-fist or the finger jab? We must also not forget the fact that more often than not, the fist will be impacting on hard surfaces (skulls) which will respond far better to blunt force trauma than they will the minor penetration gains made by the few millimeters of prominent knuckle. Punches to the body are also best served by wielding the fist as a blunt object than as a two millimeter penetration tool. Don’t get me wrong, many breaking enthusiasts (particularly those with makiwara-induced knuckle deformation) say there is much to be praised about the Prominent Knuckle approach; this may indeed be true for this particular aspect of the sport but, it seems to hold little transfer for the fluid conditions of the fight.

 

          There is another aspect of the Prominent Knuckle approach that is a bit off, it is also the failing of the Index-Middle Finger Phalanges approach. It is claimed that the fist is in optimum alignment with the skeletal support of the forearm (the radius and ulna) if you emphasize either of these two alignments. Some go so far as to say if you site down your forearm and use your two-knuckles as a gun-site you’re in the correct alignment. If we follow this “gun-site” rule then only punches thrown with the horizontal fist and in a straight arm manner are considered viable, in other words, bye-bye hooks, uppercuts, overhands, et cetera.

 

          The idea of proper alignment between fist and forearm is a sound one and fortunately there is a simple but effective test for verity. Stand before a wall and place your fist again the wall at full arm-extension in, first, the Prominent Knuckle alignment. Press into the wall with all of your strength, pushing from your legs and then, keeping the pressure on, rock your fist around on the surface. You will find that the wrist experiences a bit of instability (in some cases, discomfort) at some positions during the rock.

 

Now, align in the Index-Middle Finger Phalanges position and do the same. Here, the stability is a bit better but the rock still exposes some wrist instability thus rendering the “proper alignment” argument off-base. Now, let’s try the wall test with the Pugilist’s Fist, the flat of the last three phalanges (middle, ring, and smallest finger). You should find that even with full drive and rocking the stability is sound.

 

          Now, whether you decide to try the Wall Test or not is up to you but, what I do want to emphasize is the “take nothing for granted” attitude. It is in our best interests as combat sports enthusiasts and self-defense proponents to not so much look for “newer and cooler” techniques all the time but, to take what we already know and make sure we really know what we know.

 

I want to close with a quote, feel free to substitute whatever combat sport you choose for the word ‘wrestling’ and I think you’ll find the truth remains the same. No less an authority, than the great Japanese wrestling competitor and coach Shozo Sasahara put a fine point on it when he said: “There are no ‘secrets’ in wrestling. Its history is far too long for secrets to remain undiscovered. It is mainly a question of learning correctly what is already known.” That sounds like another argument for finding the devil in the details.

 

Resources for Livin’ the Warrior Life

The Black Box Store

https://www.extremeselfprotection.com/

The Indigenous Ability Blog

https://indigenousability.blogspot.com/

The Rough ‘n’ Tumble Raconteur Podcast

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2fTpfVp2wi232k4y5EakVv...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Conversation with Neil Melanson by Mark Hatmaker

Here is a chat I had with a good man with a good mind, Neil Melanson. If you are unfamiliar with Neil’s exemplary work he has coached at Xtreme Couture, Alliance MMA, and a HC with the Blackzilians. He is now at gym Genesis Training Academy and Coach of the Filthy Few MMA team. -DVDs out are: Head Hunter, Catchwrestling, and Ground Marshal guard basics  -book Mastering Triangle Chokes -black belt under Karo Parisyan in the Hayastan Grappling System  First things first, Brother Neil, thanks for taking the time to have this chat. Allow me to get another thing out of the way, your book Mastering Triangle Chokes , top-notch. This is high-speed, low-drag stuff all the way. Often there is chaff to be culled through, but you have a linear approach that appeals to the pragmatic streak in me. Excellent work. Thanks a lot man.  You are a real articulate and detailed coach so that means a lot coming from you. Your approach to grappling appeals to my expansiv...
Post a Comment
Read more

Apache Running by Mark Hatmaker

Of the many Native American tribes of the southwest United States and Mexico the various bands of Apache carry a reputation for fierceness, resourcefulness, and an almost superhuman stamina. The name “Apache” is perhaps a misnomer as it refers to several different tribes that are loosely and collectively referred to as Apache, which is actually a variant of a Zuni word Apachu that this pueblo tribe applied to the collective bands. Apachu in Zuni translates roughly to “enemy” which is a telling detail that shines a light on the warrior nature of these collective tribes.             Among the various Apache tribes you will find the Kiowa, Mescalero, Jicarilla, Chiricahua (or “Cherry-Cows” as early Texas settlers called them), and the Lipan. These bands sustained themselves by conducting raids on the various settled pueblo tribes, Mexican villages, and the encroaching American settlers. These American settlers were often immig...
Post a Comment
Read more

Walk Like a Warrior by Mark Hatmaker

In reading contemporary historical accounts written by soldiers (cavalry and dragoon), settlers, scouts, pioneers, and other citizens of the American frontier 1680s-1880s, I find mention that Native Americans (“Indians” or “Savages” in the accounts) did not walk like “white men.” Their gait, stride, and foot placement is described often in poetic terms as “light” or “light-footed,” “fleet”, “gliding”, and often times “springy” or “spring-like.” These terms while descriptive of the effect do little to tell us the how or why of the gait. We can find clues in accounts given by trackers in any of the myriad “Indian Wars” or skirmishes that riddled the continent in the first few centuries of the settling of the nation. The obvious telltale barefoot or soft impression of a moccasin is often a giveaway that you have a Native American track but this is less so in the moccasined foot as more and more Anglo backwoodsmen adopted this footwear. But there are a few accounts that mention ...
4 comments
Read more