prime your bioenergy

8/12/2019 Prime Your Bioenergy

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PRIME YOUR BIOENERGY

The Fisticuffs series was created before the Leg Fencing series, and it's obviousthat Scott has been refining and improving his approach as he goes along. Thosewho've viewed other tapes fromRMAX are aware that Scott speaks a language all

his own -- one comprised of many very specific terms that relate to the science ofphysical training and to his philosophy of the successful approach to thatscience. Fisticuffs includes a lotof these terms, and this may confuse someviewers unfamiliar with Scott's work.

Also missing are the nice graphic titles separating segments from each other andexplaining the formulae and mnemonics to which Scott refers at times. Thisabsence, to be frank, made the review a little more difficult to do, because in takingnotes the separation between sequences was not as clear.

Production values were okay. The tape was audible, and I had no trouble making

out what Scott was doing as he demonstrated drills in front of a blank whitewall. I didfind the striped Spetsnaz tank-top Scott wears to be distracting. (For allI know, the Spetsnaz chose that pattern for the same reason that a zebra's stripesoffer some protection from prey.)

So, with all that said, am I writing a negative review? Notat all. The Fisticuffsseries is a good one. Yes, it is not as well-developed asScott's later work, but who among us does not improve with practice? What is neatabout a video series like this is that even if you don't follow everything Scott issaying, it isn't really necessary. Watch this tape and do what Scott does, when hetells you to do so. When you're done, you'll have "primed your bioenergy." This isonly the start ofFisticuffs, but it forms the platform on which you will build instudying the following cassettes.

I should pause to state unequivocally that the principles imparted inthe Fisticuffsseries are absolutely vitalto your development as a fighter. Scottbrings very real insight to pugilism. The further I got into this series, the moreenamored of it I became, eager to go out and try in sparring what I learned fromScott's coaching. That is what Scott does, incidentally: coach. Often I foundmyself thinking, "Well, that's common sense." But if this is so, why does it notcome naturally? Why have I not applied such advice, such principles,already? The answer is that no fighter is simply born perfect and fullydeveloped. He or she must be coachedto reach full potential. That is what Scottdoes well. I have spoken glowingly of Scott Sonnon's work on these pages,because I like it very much. The high esteem in which I hold it was earned by thematerial itself and through no other means.

Tape 1, like each of the tapes in the set, opens with an inspirational quote and apair of stylized video sequences. The audio of Scott's metaphor-laced narrationduring these sequences could have been louder, but I liked them. Specifically, Iliked the contrast between the two. The first shows an altercation with multiple
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opponents in which the defender fails, while the second shows what he should doto be successful in neutralizing and escaping the dangers presented. Thesesequences depict the difference between the zoneand the vortex, betweensuccess and failure, between what we seek to experienceversus what we seekto impose.

In Tape 1 Scott explains how to prime your bioenergy. The focus here is tointegrate breathing, movement, and alignment. The most important aspect of this -- and a philosophy repeated throughout the Fisticuffsseries -- is that this is non-technical practice. Focus on the process, not the product, Scott urges.

An infinite range of motion equals an infinite range of options, Scott tells us. Hegoes on to speak of "joint recruitment" and leads the viewer through a series of

joint recruitment exercises. The figure 8 or "infinity" pattern emerges here again,as it will many times before the series ends. Scott refers to the "six degrees offreedom" -- movement up, down, left, right, back, and forward.

The exercises demonstrated include work for the neck, shoulders, arms, thorax,pelvis, and spine. Scott both explains and demonstrates the proper way tointegrate your breathing with your movement, inhaling when expanding andexhaling when contracting. The importance of proper breathing has been stressedto me endlessly by both of my instructors. I was pleased to see it emphasizedhere.

By the time you're done with the joint recruitment exercises, Scott predicts, you'llfeel like jelly -- and he's absolutely correct. Looking at the exercises moregenerally, they're all about those figure 8s. If you've ever seen a graphic depictionof the angles in which a sword can move, you've seen it as the intersection ofseveral loops that can be connected as figure 8 patterns. There are only so many -- but they comprise the entire range of human motion, for the sword is simply anextension of the body. The importance of developing these ranges of motioncannot, therefore, be overstated.

Moving on to vibration drills, Scott warns the viewer not to bring preconceivednotions to the drills. If any of them look familiar, he cautions, resist jumping to theconclusion that you already know what is being done and why. (This is a greatphilosophy to bring to drills in general, not just these. It's an idea I've heard Scottrepeat on other tapes.)

The most important part of vibration drills is the seamless transition from the end ofone motion to the beginning of another. As Scott explains later, the gap betweenmovements is where we are vulnerable and what we seek to minimize. As heusually does, Scott builds on each exercise, working from simple motions to morecomplex and integrated ones.

Starting with a simple shoulder drop and lift, integrating exhalation and inhalationwith it, Scott takes the exercise to a right-left movement using one arm or


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another. You will start to see, here, the application of this exercise to themechanics of fighting with the arms -- though of course in making that observationI'm already bending the rules of the exercise, by placing preconceived notions offor what the motions will be used on the expression of the drill.

The exercise becomes progressively more complicated as Scott integrates severalbreaths into the practice, finally incorporating his entire body.

In an exercise that develops tone, Scott demonstrates how to move from theshoulders to the elbows to the wrist, tensing each in succession. He then tenseshis entire arm and relaxes it. The drill reminds me of part of Wing Chun's Sil LimTao form, in which an extended wu sao (a vertical edge-of-hand) is retracted andrelaxed into fook sao (a hooking hand). Yes, I'm bending the rules again here.

Going on to discuss wave motion, Scott demonstrates taking that shoulder-elbow-wrist motion into a wave forward. It's not a whip, but a castingmotion. Do this

right and you will see not only the power generated, but the greater ease withwhich one can continue moving through the wave without being forced to drag thearm back to retract it. (The importance of this -- constant motion, rather thandragging back and resetting to launch a new attack -- is emphasized in Tape2,Weaponizing Your Architecture.)

Introducing a concept that is repeated again in Tape 2, Scott warns the viewer notto think in terms of specific weapons or techniques. Focus, instead, on theplatform and the delivery, integrated with your respiration.

Once again building on the previous techniques, Scott works his way throughseveral ranges of wave motion, cascading from one side of his body to the next,backwards and forwards, moving through the waves in one direction beforereversing them to move through them in the other direction. He also speaks aboutfrustration in the course of the exercises. If you find yourself becoming frustrated,he says, pull back a bit and reintegrate your breathing, movement, and alignment.

Chuckling, Scott refers to breakdancing as he demonstrates how to transmit forcefrom one end of your body to the next. It really doeslook like breakdancing. I wasready to break out the old Alfonso Ribeiro breakdancing mat and followalong. While it may look amusing, though, this is an important concept.

Elaborating on the six degrees of freedom, Scott explains that the points of rotationare the middle of your upper arm and the middle of your lower arm. You're rotatingaround the forearm, for example -- not the elbow. The smaller the point of rotation,the faster your relative speed. As the rest of Scott's body joins the movement, wecan again see the relevance of the earlier drills. He folds from upper frame tolower frame, from right to left, and back again. (It's easy to imagine how thesemotions apply to fighting, but -- again -- don't imagine too much.) Folding yourarchitecture is an important concept in Tape 2, as it is critical to moving aroundwhat your opponent offers to continue your motion.


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Your body, Scott explains, is a structural systemthat must shift to accommodateyour movement. It's a cognitive illusion to think you can move your arm withoutmoving the rest of your body. Scott then takes us through free form practice,folding and casting with both arms while moving.

Scott's discussion of the lower body reminded me very much of the LegFencingseries. (If Leg Fencing did not exist, this is the part of the review where I'dsay, "I'd like to see this treated in greater detail in another tape." Thankfully,Scott's done that already.) We are not concerned with moving our feet, he tells us,but with moving our bodies.

To move your legs, you must move your hips. Scott demonstrates a basic weighttransfer from one leg to the other. If you take nothing else away from thesereviews, remember the importance of screwing motionwith the legs (and with thearms). The infinity patterns, wave motion, casting (with the arms), and screwingare concepts Scott repeats constantly. In his demonstrations it isobvious whyand howthese work. They are sound physiological and mechanicalconcepts that you cannot afford to ignore or dismiss.

The movements that follow are, essentially, previews of the material inLegFencing. "Accordion" and "knee screw" motions are taken into the box step andthen into a slingshot motion. The slingshot is the result of the seamless transitionof the box step. Think of it as "loading" and "unloading," storing elastic energy togive you power to drive forward.

After dealing with the ranges of motion appropriate to lower limb architecture, Scottdemonstrates an exercise in which the entire body trembles as it collapses downand then comes up again, respiration integrated with the movement. This relaxesthe entire body. (Try it. It's quite invigorating.)

The culmination of the tape, as Scott explains, is solo "soft work" -- feeling theseamless transition in your movement to feel the integration of movement,breathing, and alignment. Combining all the exercises on the tape, Scott movesfluidly about the screen. I could not help but picture an opponent before him, for itis obvious by this point just whythe exercises he demonstrates are of use.

Recognize the necessity of daily personal practice with a non-technique focus,Scott repeats. The integration of your movement, breathing, and alignment iscritical to recovering from mistakes and dealing with the unexpected -- whichmakes youtougherand a better fighter.

The tape includes a nice concluding segment, something that is often missing frominstructional tapes (even some of Scott's). While such formalities as introductionsand conclusions aren't necessary to the function of a video of this type, they helpgive the reader a sense of focus, a structure to the curriculum. I was pleased tosee it included here.
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WEAPONIZE YOUR ARCHITECTURE

The tape begins with the same stylized pair of sequences on Tape 1. Toweaponize your architecture, Scott explains, is to use your entire body as aweapon. Circumstantial spontaneity overrides the application of

techniques. You don'tneed a catalog of techniques. Such an approach will leadto your downfall against a fighter who understands that improvisation is one of themost critical skills in hand to hand fighting. Suspend the notion of specifictechniques, Scott urges. Look, instead, at theprocessof integrating yourbreathing, movement, and alignment.

Each exercise on the tape, Scott warns, is notintended as a set of movements tomemorize. Use them to help you understand the importance of constant motionand improvisational weaponizing, but improvise similar drills for your own practice.

Following what is by now a predictable sequence -- the foundation for good

instructional curricula, as far as I am concerned -- Scott works through horizontaland then vertical infinities with his arms, striking pads worn by a trainingpartner. Keep moving, he urges. You are vulnerable when you "reset." Whenyou're throwing your arms and working through these movements, any damagedone should be incidental. This is part of a non-technique focus. You are gettingout of the way of yourflowand letting the damage happen as you stay in constantmotion.

Working forward and then back, dropping his upper frame to his lower frame andscrewing the force out to come back in a tight infinity pattern, Scott explains thatforce comes from the natural range of motion without stopping. The gap betweentechniques will be your undoing, he repeats. "Circumstantial spontaneity" shouldbe your goal, he says. "Performance is prior to precision."

Keeping his hands open, Scott touches on the erasure of the distinction betweenstriking and grappling. With your arms in constant motion and your architecture"weaponized," you can use anything available to you against any and all targetsnearest you. This is the key to the entire tape.

Scott also refers to the "trinity" concept, in which not one but three strikes aredelivered. You wish to overwhelm your opponent, push him into the "vortex," thedownward performance spiral that is the focus of tapes 3.1 and 3.2. There is realconsistency here, as this discussion could come from either Flow Fightingor LegFencing. Scott's material can be absorbed individually, but taken together hisworks form a web of training that build on and enhance each other.

Scott explains the three main tactics for delivering force to theopponent: projection, whipping, and casting. Projecting is lineardelivery. Whipping may look powerful, but really doesn't have all that much powerbehind it. Casting is the best method, recruiting the most joints and using the bodyin a relaxed way while delivering force through a smooth, integrated movement.
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An extended discussion of collapsing and folding your architecture, and how thisapplies to impact delivery, follows. This was introduced in Tape 1 and is veryimportant. Scott demonstrates how to deliver blows around the axis of theopponent's hold -- you can seehim "flowing"as he does this -- and how to use whathe gives you to work around, through, and with his movement.

Every part of your appendage, and every part of your body, can be "weaponized,"Scott says. He demonstrates how to use different portions of your body in theclinch, spending time on the elbow pit, the inside of the elbow, the outside of theelbow, and the forearm. The discussion of the forearm was particularly of interestto me, as I have always been fond of forearm smashes and have thought -- asScott says on the tape -- that the forearm is neglected in much martialtraining. (The forearm is not a "lazy elbow," Scott points out, but a screw that popsoutward.)

In these sequences, Scott is amazing to watch. As he demonstrates flowing and

delivering damage to the opponent, we start to really see what he can do. He isboth fast and fluid and obviously knows what he is doing.

There is a good segment on fear reactivity, the emotional arousal that is the enemyof flow. There are three elements to fear reactivity: sensitivity (how much youdetect), irritability (how quickly you react), and contractibility (how much youreact). Get your opponent's fear reactivity rolling, Scott explains, and you can"push him into the vortex."

Density, a byproduct of fear reactivity, involves the heart rate, the breathing rate,and muscular tension. It is comprised of the internal distractions that occur due toperceived or real errors, detected threats, and the unexpected. You can use thisdensity in fighting your opponent, Scott explains. If you cause emotional arousal,you create, for example, muscular tension -- density -- that can bemanipulated. This discussion reminded me very much of chi sao, a sensitivityexercise in Wing Chun in which any tenseness in the opponent works against himand provides the lever against which you move to defeat his or her guard.

Scott goes on to discuss trigger points and the difference between them andpressure points. Trigger points cause motor action and can be used to createopenings. Pressure points, by contrast, are used to inflict pain.

Your opponent's fear reactivity can work to his advantage, however, so you mustbe aware of this. His intention creates an opportunity which creates the ability toattack. If he is very irritable, for example, he may react quickly to counter yourattack. You can use this, however, because fear reactivity disintegrates theintegration of your opponent's movement, breathing, and alignment. You wish tobe in the zone -- proper integration of those three elements-- while you push himinto the vortex.


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Fear reactivity has three types, based on physiology. These are concentric(flinching), isometric (defensive bracing), and eccentric (resisting). Eccentric is thestrongest muscular action of these three, so be aware that your opponent is mostpowerful when experiencing this. Manipulate the different types of fear reactivity tomaximize your efficacy.

The setting of the tape shifts to a boxing ring in which Scott demonstrates holds,ties, and reversals with the help of a pair of training partners. One of these men iswearing another of those striped tank tops and has elaborate tattoos on his arms,which is visually distracting. (It's not a big problem, but I did find myself looking tosee exactly what the tattoos depicted, which prompted me to rewind to see what I'dmissed while I was doing that.)

Focus, Scott urges, on force vectorswhile viewing these demonstrations. He andhis partners work through a number of wedges, single and double underhooks,neutral ties, and levering. There was one sequence that I really liked in which

Scott deftly reverses a hold applied to him, smoothly and very quickly placing hisopponent in the same position.

The boxing ring segment of the tape goes on for quite some time and is worthmore than one viewing. I cannot really do it justice here. A wealth of informationon dealing with certain clinch tactics is imparted relatively quickly. (If I have anyreal complaint about this portion of the tape, it is that the lighting is very yellow,especially compared to the stark white look of the rest of the tape.)

Wrapping up the tape, Scott returns to the first setting to discuss the three strategicinterfacesfor fighting. These are proactive (addressing directly the opponent'sintention and inhibiting his motor launch), counteractive (dealing with theopponent's delivery system) and retroactive (being tougher than the opponent,through habituation or sensitization).

FLOW STATE PERFORMANCE SPIRAL"Enter The Zone and Impose the Vortex"

This is a conceptual tape, in which Scott speaks at length about performancespirals, psychodynamic profiling, flow state characteristics, the "zone," and the"vortex." If you are confused, don't worry. Those unfamiliar with Scott's other workmay be intimidated by the lengthy lists of complicated terms presented, but theseterms comprise what are ultimately simple concepts. Those with fightingexperience will be able to relate to these concepts almost immediately.

There were no production issues on this tape, apart from some intermittent buzzingand audio fuzz during one brief segment. The chalkboard Scott uses is not asvisible as is the white board to which he turns at one point, but I generally didn'thave much difficulty taking notes from the material.


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I will start with the larger picture of what Scott is presenting. Those of you withmartial arts experience or who've done any significant sparring or fighting will knowprecisely what Scott means by "the zone" when I tell you that he's not really usingthe term differently than any of us do. Think about it. When you're fighting orsparring, when you're in the zone, you experience a feeling of being on, the "mind

of no mind." Seeing everything and focusing on nothing individually, feeling as ifyou need not think about what you must do before you do it, perhaps not evenreally looking at your opponent, you areon, simply there, confident anddispassionate and dominant in the exchange.

Sound familiar? I know I've experienced this before in full-contact sparring. It isalso the basis formy teacher Dave's emphasis on the meditative aspects of the martialarts. It need not be anywhere near so mystical-sounding, however. Scott breaksdown the components of the zone -- the upward performance spiral -- and explainsin scientific and physiological terms how to gain, regain, or remain in this stateofflowwhile pushing your opponent into the vortex, the downwardperformancespiral.

You are an integrated fighter, whose breathing, movement, and alignment worktogether, free of focus on technique, of intentional and conscious effort. Your taskis to remain this integrated fighter while disrupting your opponent's effort to be thesame. Some speak of taking the initiativein a fight, which is what Scott is teachingyou to do -- but it's more comprehensive than this, more involved than simplyhaving more momentum.

Think of the vortex as that sensation of total loss of control and helplessness thatcomes when you are overwhelmed by an opponent. If you've ever sparred orfought someone who was suddenly all over you, forcing you to cover up and hangon for dear life, you have felt the vortex.

Scott uses a simple grid to explain psychodymanic profiling, the process ofevaluating your opponent's awareness. This breaks down as follows:

External Focus, Broad Concentration = "Attending"

External Focus, Narrow Concentration = "Intending"

Broad Concentration, Internal Focus = "Strategizing"

Narrow Concentration, Internal Focus = "Fantasizing"

In fighting, you wish to have an attendingprofile. Your broad awareness andexternal focus enable you to be aware of what is happening and to reactautomatically to it with a minimum of distraction.
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When you are intending, you have become vulnerable in a fight, because you mustrecover from that intention to be able to do something else. Intention thus blindsyou to what is happening. When you are strategizing, you are likewise engaged inan activity that may leave you vulnerable. If you're focusing on a given strategy youmay be distracted by it, by the need to accomplish the end goal of that strategy.

Focus on theprocess, not the product, when fighting, Scott repeats.

(In a great example of the emotional arousal that can hinder flow, my ShanliangLigreen sash testculminated in a single command from my instructor: "Okay, put meon the ground." Focusing on the need to accomplish this task, the desire to besuccessful in this end goal, could quite easily have distracted me from the processof fighting properly. A good fighter must overcome that emotional arousal or riskentering the vortex.)

Fantasizing is the exact opposite of what you wish to experience in a fight, andcorresponds to the vortex, the downward performance spiral. An opponent who is

trapped in fantasizing -- about what he must do, or about how badly he isperforming, or about the different techniques he must consciously apply in order toovercome your capture of the edge-- is yours to defeat.

Force your opponent out of attention and into intending, Scott says. When youforce him to think and internalize what is happening, you move him downward intothat fantasizing stage. His emotional arousal interferes with his flow and createsdensity -- the tension, both psychological and physiological, that you canmanipulate to your advantage. You are, after all, seeking to manipulate his fearreactivitythrough somatic profiling. (Remember that somatic profiling isdetermining whether his fear reactivity is concentric, isometric, or eccentric. Is heflinching? Is he bracing? Is he resisting?)

Scott, using a whiteboard, speaks of the relationship between psychodynamicprofiling, somatic profiling, and visceral profiling. Your visceral profile consists ofthe physical manifestations of your fear reactivity -- an elevated heart rate,accelerated breathing rate, higher blood pressure, and so forth. These are theinternal distractions that lead a fighter to the vortex.

Your performance in a fight, Scott explains, is inextricably tied to yourpsychological, somatic, and visceral orientations. What is your state ofmind? What is your state of fear reactivity? How is your muscular tension, yourheart rate, your breathing?

Your primary strategy is to move your opponent from the broad concentration ofattending to the narrower concentration ofintending. The performance spiral,therefore, can be expressed as a strategy for combat. It can be expressed interms of flow state characteristics. This is not as complicated as it sounds. Whenyouflow,you are doing precisely what you must do to be in the zone. Scottexplains the flow state characteristics in detail:
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Perception of control. Your ability to seamlessly transition from one aspect ofawareness to another, to match your psychodynamic profile to the task at hand, tobroaden or narrow your focus internally or externally as needed, gives you a senseof control of the situation.

Predictability. This is the natural outcome of your broad awareness and yourability to respond automatically to what is offered.

Indistractability. This is perhaps the most important manifestation of the upwardperformance spiral. When you are not easily distracted, your recovery time fromthe unexpected and from perceived errors is minimized. The longer an opponent isdistracted, the greater is his reactionary gap. As Scott says repeatedly,performance overrides precision. Focus on recovery time to increase yourtoughness, your ability to gain and remain in the zone.

Time warp. In times of stress our sense of time becomes distorted. Our sense of

time likewise changes when we broaden our focus and become aware of as muchas possible around us. When you see more, when you are aware of more, timeseems to slow. Your opponent, who -- in the downward performance spiral -- isaware of less, experiences a sense that time is moving faster and that he has lesstime to react.

Pre-conscious processing. This is a difficult abstract concept for some. I tend tothink of it in Eastern terms; that is, the mind of no mind, the state of awarenessand of immediate doingassociated with flow and with a non-technique, non-intentional focus.

Scott goes on, appropriately, to speak of non-intentional striking -- the ability todeliver force without focusing on specific blows. Our strategy is one of attentionalsaturation, accounting for all variables and behaving almostproactivelyin actingautomatically. Pre-conscious processing is the ability to respond instantly. "Fastisn't soon enough," Scott says. "It has to be instant."

Psychospatial acuity. This is the sense of looking at nothing while seeingeverything. It is the difference between, say, focusing on the opponent's hands, orhis shoulders, or even his center, and seeing all parts of him while focusing on noone portion.

Performance expectation. This is something with which I grapple often. Whenmy preconceived notion of how I will perform does not match my actualperformance, I become distressed and distracted. A fighter in flow statehas realisticexpectations of his or her performance. In the zone, your performanceexceeds your expectations, whereas in the vortex, your performance comes upshort compared to those expectations.

Scott next defines the vortex, the downward performance spiral, in detail. Amistake or the unexpected triggers a narrowing of focus. Visceral arousal results


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in internal distractions, which prompt the fighter to apply conscious effort toovercome them in executing techniques. Psychospatial and psychotemporaldistortion cause the fighter to develop an inaccurate picture of what is happeningand how quickly it is happening. This results in the fight becoming unpredictable,which produces anxiety, worry, doubt, fear, and other negative emotions. This in

turn triggers further narrowing of focus, and the downward spiral continues swirlinginto the depths of the vortex. It's a negative feedback loop.

You can halt the downward performance spiral, Scott explains, by letting go ofdistractions and mistakes. Broaden your focus to bring about visceralcontrol. When a fighter in the zone experiences a mistake or the unexpected, heor she broadens his or her focus. This leads to visceral control andindistractability. These, in turn, permit pre-conscious processing andpsychospatial/psychotemporal acuity. The result is that the exchange ispredictable, which produces confidence and courage. This leads to a greaterbroadening of focus, and the upward performance spiral continues on.

Wrapping up this lengthy discussion of the theory behindpeak performancepugilism, Scott compares the zone to the vortex:

VORTEX ZONE

Intention Attention

Opportunity Differentiation

Ability Integration

Density Plasticity

Aggression -- intention -- prompts a fighter in the vortex to find an opening (anopportunity) and, using his delivery system, apply a specific weapon to it usingconscious effort. He is tense, experiencing density. A fighter in the zone, bycontrast, is aware and relaxed. He or she is capable of determining what is and isnot a valid threat, neutralizing whatever is presented. The integration of breathing,movement, and alignment leads toplasticity, the state of fluidity attainable byhuman beings. (We have articulated skeletons and therefore cannot be completelyfluid, but we can be plastic rather than dense.)

This simple comparison sums up quite well the difference between what Scottdescribes as the zone and the vortex. It is the difference between being distractedand being aware, between being tense and being relaxed, between beingdefensive and being confidently dominant.

FLOW STATE PERFORMANCE SPIRAL"Enter The Zone and Impose the Vortex"


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Scott describes kinesthetic, visual, and cognitive cues in detail. Visual cuesinclude where the opponent looks. Kinesthetic cues involve detecting hisalignment (balance), structure, and joint integrity. Cognitive cues comprise thedifference between declarative and procedural statements, between focusing onthe product and focusing on the process. (Declarative statements would include

these: "This sucks! I'm performing poorly! I'm going to lose!")

Visual, kinesthetic, and cognitive cues all lead to distractability orindistractability. Think of the cues, Scott explains, as a way to increase yourindistractability, to remain focused.

The next sequences on the tape consist of a slipping drill and a pummelingdrill. These drills help you to see the appropriate manner in which to flow into theopponent, establishing a dominant position by imposing kinesthetic cues onhim. As the training partners move from fluid to dynamic drills, the pummeling andslipping are combined, with special emphasis paid to "turning the tide" -- shifting

who possesses the "edge" in the exchange. Like the ring sequences earlier inthe Fisticuffsseries, these demonstrates bear repeated watching. I doubt I can dothem justice here. The dynamic drills are particularly fun to watch, though, andthey get fairly serious, with gloves and headgear.

One point Scott pauses to make is particularly worth repeating here. Stress-induced analgesia, the natural toughening an opponent experiences whenengaged in conflict, can reduce his perception of pain and render ineffectivetechniques that rely on pain compliance. Keep that in mind, both in the ring and on"the street."

Scott concludes the series with his thoughts on the drills and on training ingeneral. "Performance overrides precision," he says again. "This should not bepretty. It should be ugly."

"Physical conditioning," he adds, "is the platform for everything you do." Youshould practice every day in a positive, supportive environment. "Go tribal," Scottexclaims, stressing the importance of such an environment. Everything you doshould be training. Strive to become indistractable. Visualize positive flow state.

Just as the Leg Fencingseries helped me in sparring with leg work, Fisticuffshasenhanced my upper body fighting ability. The principles Scott espouses are soundones -- not just for fighting, but for life in general.

HYPER-FUNCTION

Scott opens the series by explaining that he's "teaching you how to fish." Embracethe principles and training strategies contained in IOUF, he says, and you cancreate techniques based on those strategies. These comprise fundamentalsmissing in much martial art training today, he asserts. He begins by explaining twoimportant concepts in IOUF: hyperfunctionand the triangle point.


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The body has its own survival instincts, righting reflexes that work against attemptsto use dysfunctionto flex joints to create pain or facilitate takedowns. Rather thanuse dysfunction to work against this righting reflex, Scott advocates using the jointin the manner it is designed to function -- but causing it to move beyond theopponent's point of balance, thus inducing what Scott calls hyperfunction.

Think about it: a typical wrist lock relies on dysfunction, such as jerking theopponent's wrist in a direction it is not meant to go. He will respond automaticallyto "right" himself and escape that dysfunction. If, instead, you manipulate his wristin a direction it is meantto go -- but which was not his idea -- he cannot stop youfrom taking his balance.

(InArthrokinetics,Scott goes into hyperfunction in more detail, discussing the fouranatomical regions of joint manipulation as they relate specifically to appropriatetactical strategies.)

In explaining the triangle point, Scott points out that your feet can be connected byan invisible line. Any line perpendicular to that first line indicates a breachof stance integrity. (Combatives expertCarl Cestaridescribes using this lineperpendicular to the line connecting the enemy's feet to direct your attack formaximum efficacy. It is a sound principle. The centerline is also the mostimportant concept inWing Chunand it is easy to see how all these arts and systemstie together.)

Extend those perpendicular lines to a point either in front of or behind the lineconnecting the feet. What you see are two triangle points -- the points to which youcan bring your opponent to take him off balance. By causing his body to"overfunction" and driving him towards a triangle point, you may throw him atwill. Hyperfunction is thus the way you manipulate the opponent's joints to bringhim to that triangle point.

Studying the head and neck and the pivot joint they comprise, Scott goes into moredetail about the difference between hyperfunction and dysfunction. Whendysfunction is induced, the body moves defensively when a joint is moved beyondits range of motion, counteracting the energies directed against it. Usinghyperfunction, by comparison, "loads" the joints to facilitate motion. There's nodefense against this because it is simply how the joints are meant to work. Youtake advantage of your opponent's body mechanics and move him without hisconsent. In the examples that follow, we see that the body naturally moves to thetriangle point, where balance fails.

Moving on to the ball and socket joint that is the shoulder, Scott looks at how to"load" and "unload" the joint. Use this to naturally take the opponent to his trianglepoint by moving his body in the way it was designed to function, Scott urges. In sodoing you "disinhibit" his reflexes and bracing mechanisms -- because there is nodysfunction against which to react.
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Continuing his discussion of the shoulder, Scott explains that the fulcrum of yourthrow is between the two leversof that throw, not at the grab point. This ideatransitions nicely into his treatment of force vectors, another key point in IOUF.

Understand the physiology of the human body, Scott says, and you understand

that we are highly articulated, three-dimensional creatures. The directions in whichour joints are designed to move are limited and specific. When you understandthis, you begin to see the opponent's joints as traveling along force vectors--directions along which you can move them, in the manner for which they weredesigned, to cause hyperfunction and take the opponent to the triangle point.

Discussing the elbow, Scott's treatment of force vectors begins in earnest. Yourbody naturally loads and unloads in certain directions, he explains, so apply forcealong that vector. Don't push againstthose force vectors. Follow them. Look atthe "bony levers" that operate your opponent's body and you will begin to seewhere he is vulnerable. Numerous examples follow. In them, Scott explains the

difference between the spastic reactions induced by dysfunction and the naturaldescent to the triangle point facilitated by hyperfunction.

The entire treatment of force vectors reminded me yet again of the balanceexercise myShanliang Liteacher and I have practiced that he calls "IndianWrestling." The drill teaches the importance of learning to yieldwhen pulled orpushed. If you offer resistance, your partner has something against which to pushto put you off balance. If instead you learn to givewhen force is offered, andtopush or pullwhen tension is presented, you will win every time. (I referred tothis drill earlier in myLeg Fencingreview.)

In order to be able to induce hyperfunction, it is important to expand your ownrange of motion. Scott demonstrates performing "infinities" with the arms in bothdirections (drills discussed in more detail in theFisticuffsseries). You're looking to"snake in," Scott explains. You're not seeking to force the opponent's body tomove.

In a lengthy segment on the "biomechanics of gripping" (which hints at the contentof Volume 2 in the series), Scott explains how to vastly improve your ability tograb. A standard "monkey grip," something each of us does instinctively, involvesgrabbing on top with the thumb. Don't do this, Scott says. Instead, start with yourpinky and grab in on each joint, curling into the grasp. Wrap underneath andyou've created a much more secure grip.

Several examples of techniques that can be improved with this gripping techniquefollow. These include the following helpful tips:

When performing a standard overhook, grab with your pinky from thebottom, bringing your elbow in and down. The opponent can't bring his armup to get out when you do that.
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up, straight out, or straight down (or positioned somewhere along thosepoints). By screwingyour arms, placing them in and screwing them over, you cansee the rotational value in entering on your opponent. Screwing increases thetendon wrap and facilitates the force vector when you grab.

Scott demonstrates this wrapping and screwing from one frame to the next. "Lookat the fulcrum of your bony levers," he explains. He describes how to capture(confirm) the opponent's grasp, release that grasp, or counter that grasp to createa grasp of your own.

Several specific grabbing scenarios follow. When your jacket is grabbed, forexample, you can move your elbow down and screw upwards to the upper frame totake the opponent off you. Scott demonstrates using all three options --confirming, releasing, and countering -- from low, middle, and upper frame. Healso demonstrates how to take one into the other, such as taking a release into acounter and asserting a grasp of your own.

Immobilization (confirmation of a grasp) isn't a submission hold, Scott points out. Itis taking the opponent's joint to its furthest range of motion to stop him. Scott thengoes on to demonstrate variations on counters to sleeve holds. Elements ofLegFencingare apparent here and remind the savvy viewer that all of Scott's tapes areinterconnected and reinforce one another.

As more variations on this theme were presented, things started to make sense tome. The whole body of concepts is really very simple. Confirmations, releases,and counters to grasps, combined with the essential "screwing motion" of the limbsand a recognition of where the opponent's triangle points are, take a lot more timeto list and describe than to recognize and apply.

Going into more detail on counters, Scott states flatly that "A great throw isless. Less energy, less movement, less effort." This is one of those slogans I findmyself repeating more and more. Taking advantage of the way your opponent'sbody works, refusing to muscle through him or fight his natural reflexes, is theessence of performance enhancement -- because it removes obstacles. Refusingto fight force on force is also an important principle inWing Chun(and many otherarts), so it is something to which most readers can relate immediately.

In the next segment, Scott repeats his admonition against using joint dysfunctionmaneuvers. Allowyour opponent to move away from pain to facilitate takedowns,he explains. When dealing with grabs to the arm, he says, "Think of where theforce vectors are to facilitate your throws... How to control his joints in such amanner that the throw is easy and you end up in a position of mechanicaladvantage."

Going (back to) lapel grabs, Scott demonstrates rolling the shoulder over tocounter the grasp. We can hammer it off to release it, or we can drive him forward
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training footage most of all, as it illustrates the principles previously discussedwithout distracting commentary.

JOINT MASS CENTER

"He who controls the middle," Scott announces, "controls the fight." Justwhat isthe middle is the topic of Volume 3.

Scott starts with an analysis of the pelvis. Comparable to the shoulder in itsfunction, the pelvis and an understanding of its rotation and tilt are key to a three-dimensional understanding of throws. Conventional throws are, by contrast, two-dimensional.

To explain the difference between hyperfunction and dysfunction in the lower body,Scott demonstrates how the muscles of the body engage to counteract attempts toforce the body's joints against their ranges of motion. He then describes how to

use hyperfunction to, for example, screw the opponent's leg outward in its naturalrange of motion. This throws him. He literally cannot stop you. This discussionlinks to the previous description of the triangle point: you either move theopponent's body to that point or its opposite (there are two triangle points to everystance). Remove a joint and you collapse the opponent to that point. Use yourwhole body and you can manipulate him to make the throw happen.

Discussing the ankle (which is remarkablyvulnerable), Scott shows the viewer howto rotate the ankle to take down the rest of the body. (Yet again we see theimportance of the "screwing" motion that is so common in Scott's teaching.) Hegoes on to explain how the legs are attached to the pelvic girdle. Manipulating oneleg affects the other leg.

Reviewing arm and spine "infinities," the figure-eight motion that is integral to somuch of Scott's work, Scott demonstrates infinities with the legs. This materialpredates the Leg Fencingseries, but it is simply a condensed presentation of theexpandedLeg Fencing curriculum.

Leg fencing tactics, Scott says, don't exist. Do not compartmentalize the tactics,he explains -- they are tools, not techniques. He breaks them down arbitrarily inorder to present them to the viewer, but he urges that they not be takendogmatically. Using the basic figure-eight motion, the leg-fencer improvisestechniques relevant to the situation.

Key to all the leg fencing drills and demonstrations are the infinities and thatscrewing motion I've mentioned frequently. Scott explains that your goal is toscrew your opponent's limbs (and thus his body) to the ground using hyperfunctionto drive him to either of his triangle points. Be mindful of your own position. Theless contact you have with the ground, the less control you have.
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All of the leg fencing tactics are accompanied by numerous demonstrations. Theyinclude the following:

Thetrip. Don't lead with your legs, Scott cautions. The trip is not leg-driven. Use your whole body.

The post. The post involves joining with the opponent's supporting leg. Itrequires the articulation of your leg, because it is a movement of your wholeappendage. The post can be launched with the knee.

The sweep. The sweep requires rhythm and timing. To sweep, you mustmove with your opponent's motion to capture him at the end of thatmotion. You are not chopping -- you are rotating in the middle of the leg totake away his balance before he transfers to his supporting leg.

The reap. The reap takes the opponent's balance by moving yours. The hook. The hook involves lacing one of the opponent's legs. The elevator. The elevator has characteristics of the hook, reap, post, and

even the sweep. It is inserted (obviously) to elevate the opponent.

So where does leg fencing fit in the context of IOUF? Combine it with a means ofgeneratingpower-- your pelvis -- and you use your lower body to throw at willwhile keeping your own balance. Pelvic mobility, Scott explains, determines inertiawhile two opponents are in the clinch (typically grasping each other's

jackets). Scott walks through a drill with his training partners, Ben Brackbill andScott Fabel, in which the pelvis is used as the generator to release leg fencingtactics. Locate the joint mass center, Scott says, referring to the volume title, andyou find the perfect throw. (Don't do less than optimal work, he reminds us. Thebest you can hopeto do in reality is the worst you've achieved in training.)

Before going into footwork, Scott explains that there is no such thing as being onbalance while standing. Standing is a balancing act in itself. Using the leg infinitymotion, Scott demonstrates placing the feet at 45 angles, leading from the pelvis,which alters the triangle point to conceal it from an attacker as one walks.

Footwork, Scott says, forms the relationship of balance between twopeople. Footwork is biomotor, not tactical. It's a chess game of hiding our trianglepoints from the opponent, a system of maneuvers with the lower body.

One of the ways this is done is through the box step, covered thoroughly intheLeg Fencingseries. To be honest, I don't think I processed the actualapplication of the box step the first time I viewedLeg Fencing. This is agreat example of how Scott's tapes reinforce one another. IOUF helped meto understand properly just why the box step is useful.

The linear/lateral shuffleis a means of side stepping. It is not truly"shuffling." The pelvis is used as the generator for the movement (and ifyou play this sequence on fast-forward, Scott moves eerily like Elvis).

The slingshotis a renovation of the traditional shoot. It draws back,establishes rooting (an important concept in both the martial arts I study),and fires forward.
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Screwing knees are a means of stepping forward and changing directionwithout taking consciously defined steps. Use the knee as a generator toturn around in a fluid motion. Once again, the pelvis generates the powerfor the motion.

For me, Volume 3 was the tape during which I finally "got it." I finally understoodthe full implications of the IOUF series as I watched the discussion anddemonstrations on thejoint mass center.

A fight, Scott explains, is a "biomotor relationship" with another person. The jointmass center is the point between those two people that is their single center ofbalance. Control that center of balance, that joint mass center, and you control thefight.

Defensiveness, Scott points out, limits your training potential. Two people in theclinch who are defensive each have two supporting legs. (Such a stance is hard to

break.) At some point, one of the two will become aggressive and move from twosupporting legs to one or two driving legs. That individual becomes vulnerable asa result.

The most important concept in IOUF, I believe, is what Scott describesas redefiningthis biomotor relationship. By taking the joint mass center, sinkinginto your opponent and using him as support for your mass, you control themiddle. Leg fencing, jacket fencing, and pelvic inertia come together (and cametogether for me in my understanding of them) here. When you use your opponentin this fashion and take control of the joint mass center, he has two supportinglegs, while you have a third supporting leg -- and, most importantly, a leftover mobile leg. That mobile leg gives you the advantage.

Another important idea discussed here is that of coming in perpendicular to the lineconnecting the opponent's two supporting legs. When you do this, swinging yourpelvis in, your "third" supporting leg (for in the clinch the two of you form a creaturewith four arms, four legs, and one center of balance) is in the triangle point. Thisis what makes you animmovable object. Scott explains and demonstrates how tomove and keep your supporting leg in the triangle point, which makes it virtuallyimpossible for you to be thrown.

"You're not throwing him," Scott asserts. "You're throwing 'us.'" While you are offyour individual balance in the clinch like this, the two of you are not, because youhave a single point of balance (the joint mass center). Use your mobile leg toremove one of the opponent's supporting legs and you throw him at will. Don't tryto keep your own balance. Use the opponent and take the joint mass center.

Lengthy demonstrations follow, in which Scott and his training partners workthrough fluid drills concerning taking or reclaiming (through such techniques as legthreading and the "sprawl") the joint mass center, throwing the opponent, andkeeping the supporting leg in the triangle point to prevent being thrown. Of


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particular interest in these segments is the notion of using your structure, sinking inunder the joint mass center, to facilitate lifting. A much smaller individual can lift alarger opponent with ease when using structure and positioning rather than musclepower. We see this in action several times.

There are a series of demonstrations involving grasping the opponent, or beinggrasped, around the waist. The importance of using the spine as a lever isdiscussed, too. I mention this specifically because... and I am not making this up...this is the first instructional martial arts tape I have viewed that includes ademonstration of the atomic wedgie.

Grabbing Scott Fabel's belt, Coach Sonnon tells us that we should shove along thevector of the opponent's spine. He manages to comment on ripping the opponent'spants clean off with a mostly straight face, even as he appears to be ripping thewaistband of Fabel's pants clear off the man's body. I think I saw a piece of thefabric on the floor during the following demonstrations.

Taking or reclaiming the joint mass center is the difficult part of this, Scott tellsus. Everything that happens after that is easy by comparison. Put these principlesinto practice -- hyperfunction, quantum gripping, an understanding of force vectors,and a focus on the joint mass center -- and you will throw your opponent easilywhile stopping him from throwing you. As I've said a few times now, theexplanations may seem complex, but the scientific principles used are actually verysimple in their applications.

"I intend to make you all a wonderful blend of neurogeek and knuckledragger,"Scott explains. "Expand your training vision. That is the key to performanceenhancement."

The first tape in the series, T.O.P. Tool Development, focuses on drills that helpyou build the foundation for Leg Fencing. Scott makes the distinction several timesbetween this and what he calls "foot fighting." Fighting with the legs as Scottteaches it is a whole-body endeavor that uses your entire physical "architecture."

Scott explains that the purpose of the tape's exercises is to improve your T.O.P. --your Threshold of Performance. He refers once again to the definitions of "hard"work and "soft" work defined in hisFlow Fightingvideo. "Hard" work is work thatimproves your threshold of pain, while "soft" work is work that improves yourthreshold of what Scott calls "fear reactivity." Fear reactivity, he explains,expresses itself physically as tension. A relaxed fighter has better focus. "If youcan't stay relaxed in a force on force simulation," Scott warns, "you won't be able tostay relaxed in a fight."

The sound quality of instructional videos is almost universally mediocre. This tapewas not much different. I had to increase the volume with each new segment inorder to hear Scott, as the recording levels seemed to decrease each time. Apart


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from that the track was audible and I had no trouble understanding what was beingsaid.

Video quality is okay too, though the cloth backdrop used is lighted with differentcolored lights in a manner I found distracting and a little dim. I did not notice as

many intermittent recording lines as I did in the Flow Fightingtape. Camera angleschange as needed without becoming spastic or unsettling, with frequent close-upson Scott's feet and legs to illustrate techniques.

The first solo exercise on the tape is a four-corner balance drill. Scott mentions the"visual search engine" and tells the viewer to imagine that an invisible tetherconnects his or her eyes to a spot on the floor. Looking around a lot will disruptone's balance, he explains -- and proceeds to run through a series of movementswhile standing on one leg and moving or extending the other.

I was absolutely amazed at Scott's balance and control. He moves as if his body is

on pulleys -- though at the completion of the exercise he admits that it isn't as easyas he makes it look. "You should feel an enormity of pain in your planted leg," hesays, smiling. "It should feel like your foot's on fire."

Solo Exercise 2 is called "Leg Infinities." It is intended to build foot strength(though it will also enhance knee strength). "If you want to excel at Leg Fencing,"Scott explains, "it has to come from the foundation first." Once again balancing onhis planted leg, he moves his mobile leg in a series of figure-eight patterns. "Ifthere are bumps in the movement," he continues, seemingly taking no notice of theexertion, "that's where you have a limitation. That limitation is fear reactivity in yourtissues." That fear reactivity, as previously mentioned, is expressed as tension,which causes the limitation.

If you can do only one of the exercises on this tape, Scott recommends SoloExercise 3, the "Rock-up Deck Squat with a Kick." That's kind of a tongue twister,and I gather from the impish way Scott repeats it that he knows it is. The exerciseis designed to improve your leg strength and flexibility while improving your abilityto coordinate your respiration with the motions.

The rock-up deck squat with a kick is not a Hindu Squat or a bar squat, butsomething better seen than described here. Scott talks the viewer through theexercise -- but not before stating, "You will do them with me." Between the carrotand the stick, Scott explains, he prefers the stick. I don't imagine many of theathletes with whom he works would want to argue with his training suggestions,either. He has a way of being both incredibly friendly and undeniably motivating allat the same time.

Making the transition from tool development to tool application, Scott demonstratestwo shock absorption exercises. Shock Absorption 1, the "Battering Ram," is"hard" work rather than "soft" work. Raising his leg, Scott pulls his knee back into


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his chest, exhaling with each impact. The battering ram exercise will improve yourflexibility, your dynamic range of motion, and your ability to absorb blows.

Throughout this exercise, as with all the exercises on the tape, Scott explains whathe's doing as he's doing it. He points out common mistakes and problems, too,

anticipating any difficulties the student may experience. Rarely, if ever, does hiscalm and self-assured voice waver, even when he's explaining something in themidst of a strenuous drill. He's so relaxed that it's easy to forget he's doing thingsthat would have most of us howling over our sore muscles.

The second shock absorption exercise is "Shin Lifts," in which the battering ramexercise is applied to different ranges of motion. Scott emphasizes one of themost important concepts in all fighting, not to mention Leg Fencing: thatof rootinginto the ground to maintain your balance (and thus your ability tofight). He also stresses the importance of proper respiration. "Exhalation is thetrigger for you to keep your presence of mind in melee," he says.

There are four different footwork exercises on the tape. In the "Accordion"exercise, Scott shows you how to drill using your entire foot for propulsion andbalance. As always, he looks light on his feet and in superb control as he rotateshis feet and shifts his weight from one to the other.

The second footwork exercise, "Fencer's Advance," looks like just that -- a meansof advancing in a linear fashion. Scott builds on the previous drills as he explainsthis one. This is not new. Scott consistently builds on previous exercises as heexplains new ones, which lends a nice sense of continuity to the training regimenhe is outlining.

In the third footwork exercise, "Slingshot," Scott demonstrates how to store "elasticenergy" in your rear leg. He withdraws his leg and "loads" it with elastic energythat can be released forward. One should make this movement habitual. "Youdon't need a stance in order to be in balance," Scott says. "Your balance is inmotion. ...Stabilitythroughmobility."

The fourth and final footwork exercise brings the other drills together in the "BoxStep," a balanced means of moving in which one foot steps forward as the othersteps behind it. The body turns and the legs are constantly in motion, steppingthrough the pattern. The box step is never stationary, Scott says. It is a means ofhiding your balance point through movement.

The box step is not, however, a fighting technique. It is an exercise, and Scottthreatens to hit you with the videotape if he ever catches you trying to make it atechnique. Use the box step to develop rhythm, timing, and movement, heencourages.

Bringing in a pair of training partners, Scott explains 5 "games." These are partnerdrills that help one apply the skills developed through the previous exercises. In


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the first, the "Back to Back Push," Scott's assistants stand back to back andattempt to shove each other off screen. Both men drop down as they push,attempting to lower their centers of gravity for better leverage. Your ability to gripinto the ground determines your ability to make a supporting leg and a driving leg,Scott points out. He refuses to reveal the secret of the exercise -- but explains that

it's at the beginning of the video.

In Game 2, "Arm-Lace Pull/Carry," the two partners lace their arms and stand backto back before attempting to pull the other off camera. The drill repeatedly goes tothe man who first lifts his partner off the ground and carries him away. The secret,Scott again hints, is at the beginning of the tape. "Rock-up deck squat with a kick,"he says quietly.

The third game is a "Shoulder Push." The opponents push on each other'sshoulders, as you might expect. I noticed that each time one of the men managedto push his partner off camera, the partner's legs were bent but parallel. The

"winner" of the exercise, by contrast, had his legs apart in a position similar to asimple Karate front stance. The difference in leverage between the twoconfigurations is obvious.

The fourth game is a "Wrist Pull," in which the partners grab each other's wristsand attempt once again to pull each other off camera. These exercises arefascinating to watch. You learn truly to appreciate the difference that legplacement, weight distribution, and body positioning make in one's balance.

I was also reminded of a balance exercise my own teacher and I have practicedthat he calls "Indian Wrestling." The drill teaches the importance of learningto yieldwhen pulled or pushed. If you offer resistance, your partner has somethingagainst which to push to put you off balance. If instead you learn to givewhenforce is offered, and topush or pullwhen tension is presented, you will win everytime.

In the fifth and last game, "One Leg cross-Wrist Pull," each partner holds one legup and behind him while grabbing the other's free arm. The hopping tug-of-warthat results is quite a sight -- and makes one appreciate the four-corner balancedrill.

Scott concludes the tape by reminding the viewer that games should be fun. If youcan't laugh, if you can't enjoy what you are doing, then you shouldn't come backthe next day. But fun does not mean the absence of challenge, Scottexplains. The lowest common denominator in your training should be that all of theparticipants leave feeling fulfilled.

This is a great cassette that will help you acquire and develop the skills, flexibility,strength, and coordination necessary to fight effectively with your legs. Scott isalways enjoyable to watch and has a great on-screen presence.


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The material he imparts is clear, methodically presented, and adequatelyexplained. It is not, however, easyto do. Work along with Scott while viewing thistape and your legs will be screaming for mercy long before you're even halfwaythrough.

But, hey, youtry telling him you won't do it.

The production values of Tape 2A are similar to those of the first tape. The soundlevel of the intro and outtro music is too loud when compared to Scott's speakingvoice, though this is a minor complaint. Closer shots of Scott and his trainingpartners are fine, and the camera moves up and down as needed to capture torsoand leg movement. Wide shots, in which the camera pans back to reveal more ofthe color-lighted background, appear a bit dim in comparison to the closer shots.Everything on the tape is visible and audible.

The tape begins with a brief discussion of Scott's formulae for "hard" work (the

threshold of pain, or your effectiveness -- opportunity over risk) and "soft" work (thethreshold of "fear reactivity, or your efficiency -- useful work over total work). Weare, he explains, working towards two simultaneous goals: to increase oureffectiveness while increasing our efficiency. If the best you can hope for in a fightis the worst you have managed in training, the only way to elevate the top is to liftthe bottom.

Scott explains the Threshold of Performance strategy for LegFencing: Secure, Shock, Saturate. (We are dealing with "attached striking" onlyin Leg Fencing -- striking delivered while in the "clinch.") Simply stated, this meanstaking a secure hold on your opponent, delivering disruption to your opponentthrough strikes or grappling, and following up by overwhelming your opponent.

There are four elements to the clinch: a locking arm, a "power transfer" arm, adriving leg, and a mobile leg. In the clinch, you collect data about your opponentby feeling what he does. Where is he tense? Where is he pushing? Where andhow does he flinch? These pieces of data reveal tendencies your opponentpossesses that are specific to him. They'rehabitual, not reflexive. Scott evenmakes an acronym of the word "data,"here: defensive action tendency association.

Early on, Scott covers an important concept: that of range compression, a changein fighting range that can eliminate or remove the "secure" phase of one'sstrategy. Particularly against experienced fighters, one may go directly to "shock"and then to "saturate" without visiting the "secure" stage.

The clinch, Scott explains, is not composed of weapons, but of joints. Hedismisses as "artificial constructs" and "marketing" the ideas of striking range,kicking range, and grappling range, referring instead to depths, such as ankledepth, knee depth, and wrist depth.


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Moving on to "shock," Scott explains that through grappling (disrupting theopponent's balance) and striking (delivering pain and surprise) one can remove theopponent's will to fight. For example, the natural "righting reflex" one experienceswhen one's balance is disrupted leaves one vulnerable. When we force someoneto experience that righting reflex, we have delivered shock. There are two ways to

overcome that shock: we can develop stability through mobility, and we canincrease our tolerance to pain and surprise. In this way we increase our toughness andremain in flow.

Shock, Scott points out, is disruption. "You don't want to make this a chessmatch. ...Shock is our ability to move in between [the opponent's] intentions."

In the "saturate" phase, the fighter envelops his opponent, derails him in takingadvantage of the disruption offered by shock. Do not, Scott cautions again, standthere and trade blows with the opponent. Saturation is total commitment.

The remainder of the tape consists of static and fluid drills, separated by theprotocols used for them. Most of these seem extremely useful (and painful) forthose with access to training partners. The drills take place at specific depths andbuild from the "tool development" exercises in Tape 1.

A typical segment involves Scott explaining the drill while demonstrating on trainingpartner Dan, then performing the drill with Dan. Dan and another training partner,

Anders, then work the drill, but these segments have been stylized with music anda choppy camera effect. I understand that these are meant to serve as transitionsfrom one drill to the next, but I think I would have preferred to see the action as itwas originally filmed. Still, this -- like my other gripes -- is very minor.

In the Static Drills, Ankle Depth - Post, the toe strikes to ankle depth. It's not akick with weight transfer; it's a wave motion from the hip to the knee to the ankle. Ifelt a little sorry for Dan, Scott's training partner, as I heard the solid thumpofScott's toe striking home. Before tapes 2a and 2b were done, I felt a lot moresorryfor Dan. These are effective expressions of sound principles. I don't think I wouldwant to be on the receiving end of the lengthy demonstrations of them.

In the Fluid Drill Protocol, Ankle Depth, Scott explains that you must grab atwrist depth and post. As you post, you unbalance your opponent. Grappling andstriking are happening simultaneously. You are using the clinch with impact. Scottpauses here to explain that effective fighting is not a matter of physical attributes

without technique, or technique without physical attributes. Both areimportant. You must learn to use just enoughstrength at the right time.

In the Static Drills, Ankle Depth - Sweep, pain is administered to impart shockusing a portion of the figure 8 motion drilled in Tape 1. You must strike theopponent's ankle and take his balance. It isn't just a sweeping motion, as this isnot just grappling. Scott repeats this distinction many times.


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In the Fluid Drills, Ankle Depth, fluid rather than static performance goals areemphasized. The ankle depth fluid drills are used to develop timing, rhythm, andan understanding of range and depth. The training partners deliver posts tosupporting legs and sweeps to mobile legs.

In the Static Drills, Ankle Depth - Hook, the two reverse angles of the figure 8motion are used. The heel comes in behind the opponent's leg -- but again, this isnot a grappling leg lace. The heel is used to strike a nerve and cause motoraction. The fighter isn't merely removing the supporting leg. He is causing theopponent's muscles to contract.

In the Static Drills, Ankle Depth - Trip, the fighter plants a foot behind theopponent's planted foot. Instead of just blocking the opponent's leg, the heel isused to impart force to take down that leg. The move consists of blocking onesupporting leg and hammering at the other side, creating both force and a slidedown which the opponent's body moves.

I was impressed by this. It is a much more effective tripping technique than theone I've previously learned, which is closer to Scott's explanation of what the ankledepth trip is not.

In the Static Drills, Ankle Depth - Reap, the leg screwsin. Rather than merelychopping with the leg, the fighter again imparts force with part of the figure 8motion that caused so much leg agony on the tool development cassette. I couldactually heartraining partner Dan gasp when Scott applied this.

As I watched the three tapes in this series, it became obvious that two principles ofmotion are very important in Leg Fencing: wave motion and screwing motion. Ibecame more aware of the way in which Scott moved his body to properly impartforce through these motions as the tapes went on.

In the Fluid Drill Protocol/ Fluid Drillsand 5 Leg Fencing Tactics, Scottdiscusses and then demonstrates fluid exercises using techniques he hasexplained. He reminds the viewer that the purpose of fluid drills is to work on errorsand recovering from them -- to make mistakes and then learn to diminish the timeneeded to mitigate those mistakes, real or perceived. (Think about this: when youfight, there's no difference between a realerror you've made and one youonlythinkyou've made. Both disrupt your flow and both must be mitigated to stayin flow.)

In the Static Drills, Knee Depth - Knee Strikes, Scott demonstrates the wavemotion used to transfer one's weight and apply knee attacks. He refers back to thebox step and demonstrates both straight and elliptical knees to his opponent. Healso mentions the "dead leg" technique, striking the motor point in the thigh. As Iwatched this, I thought to myself, "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!"


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In the Fluid Drill Protocol, Knee Depth, Scott reiterates the purpose of flow drillsand refers to the development of toughness discussed in hisFlow Fightingtape.

I found the Fluid Drill, Shock Absorption - Knee Strikesvery helpful. Learningto move your body to mitigate the effect of a kick or knee strike is very important,

given the power and shocking force such strikes can have. Scott also referstorootedness here, the significance of maintaining your balance. The concept ofbeing rooted is one on which myWing Chun teacher speaks constantly.

In the Fluid Drill, Unbalancing Knee Strikes, the fighter pulls his opponent offbalance when the opponent delivers a knee strike. Scott pauses here to make agreat point about not falling into a "motor set" while training in these drills. After afew repetitions, training partners tend to anticipate the movement and deliberatelymove out of the way to avoid the shock. Scott cautions the viewer not to dothis. Instead, deliberately put yourself in a position to receive shock as youtrain. Only in this way will you learn to deal with it.

In the Fluid Drill, Asymmetrical Unbalancing and Knee Strikes, one trainingpartner attacks while the other defends, pulling his opponent off balance to avoid ahit or mitigate the effects of being hit. One of the goals of the drill is to learn tocollect data from your opponent, to learn to feel when he is going to strike or move.

The Fluid Drill, Symmetrical Unbalancing and Knee Strikesinvolves twotraining partners, both of whom try to strike with the knees while defending againstthe same. The biggest danger of this exercise is that one of the opponents maycollide with the other. When drilling, Scott tells us, there should be a rise and a lullto the training, corresponding to physical communication and the gathering of dataabout the opponent.

The Static Drill Takedown #1, Inside Knee Trip is performed as the opponentapplies an elliptical knee. It isn't a leg lace and the fighters should not be grapplingin a free-fighting situation. As the opponent's mobile leg is about to transfer to thesupporting leg, trip him. The shock imparted should be similar to the sensationexperienced when one expects there to be a final step while descending stairs --only to come down hard on the floor.

In the Static Drill Takedown #2, Cross Knee Trip, the opponent transfers hisweight after delivering a knee. The fighter catches this and cycles outwards,knocking the opponent over.

In the Static Drill Takedown #3, Outside Knee Reap, the fighter reaps, screwingin, striking the inside of the leg with a knee. Scott demonstrates this screwingaction and the resulting maneuver is, well, really cool.

The Static Drill Takedown #4, Knee Sweepis a thigh bump to the supporting legwhile the other knee is striking.
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better learning the training strategies of different styles and specific fighters. Iparticularly liked, and can relate to, the drill he calls "Bloodsport," in which anopponent uses a specific (and often quite different) style. In sparring or combatdrills this is something I have seen both of my martial teachers do.

Throughout the Leg Fencingseries, Scott refers toother tapes,such as FlowFighting, Fisticuffs, Immovable Object - Unstoppable Force, and others. He hasestablished an impressive body of work to which you can refer for more detail on avariety of subjects, though I believe the Leg Fencingseries stands fairly well byitself.

Scott begins each tape in this series with a quote: "Be more prepared than thechallenges you will face."
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