Contouring

[parkerkarate]

When doing many techniques is it better to stay on the persons body or not? I.e. contouring. This concept involves using the out line of your opponent's body as a "homing device" or guide to accomplish certain feats. Contouring is divided into two basic categories -- methods that employ 1) body contact or 2) non-body contact. When a natural weapon fits the contour of the target it is known as fitting. There are many other sub categories to contouring of which is fitting. What are the others?

[Celtic_Crippler]

"Tracking" is one of that comes to mind. Definately useful if you can't see your opponent or your view is somewhat obscured.

In regards to efficiency, it's probably a good idea to stick as close to your opponent as possible. You can't move "through" a body, but by contouring you can go from target to target more quickly than by pulling away after a strike prior to striking again. IMHO

[KenpoJuJitsu3]

Gotta agree with CC. Countour as much as possible.

1) Promotes Accuracy
2) Economy of Motion
3) Allows you to "feel" the opponent's movements and better check him off and/or flow from move to move
4) Allows to switch from striking to manipulating and/or blend the two together

Countouring, Tracking, Fitting, Threading, Hugging, Pressing, Pinning, Riding, Rolling, Sliding......starting to sound like vertical grappling to me.

[KenpoChanger]

Threading

[Doc]

Mr. Parker addressed contouring quite effectively in two categories. Contact and non-contact contouring. Keep in mind that when you are in contact with another person, without specific mechnisms and principles at your disposal, as well as a stable base platform, they have as much opportunity to affect you as you they. The human body is easily misaligned if one is knowledgeable. Of course you can do the same without contact as Ed Parker shared with me. I think several that post here have been in seminars where I have misaligned them without contact before engagement.

[DavidCC]

Mr. Parker addressed contouring quite effectively in two categories. Contact and non-contact contouring. Keep in mind that when you are in contact with another person, without specific mechnisms and principles at your disposal, as well as a stable base platform, they have as much opportunity to affect you as you they. The human body is easily misaligned if one is knowledgeable. Of course you can do the same without contact as Ed Parker shared with me. I think several that post here have been in seminars where I have misaligned them without contact before engagement.

This is one of those topics from your seminar material that can really be of use to ANY style. Shaolin kempo tends to use 'grab and manipulate' in its techniques more than American Kenpo does (as far as I can tell anyway) and so we found this very relevant to us. I am far from having the understanding of alignment and PNF assessment of even your more junior students, but at least now we know how very important it is to both preserve your structure and destroy the attacker's. So when I am teaching a technique where the student is either grabbed or does the grabbing, it always starts and ends with POSTURE.

These lessons also allow us to transition into the groundfighting that we teach as well...

As far as the non-contact mis-alignment, we are aware of the visual cortex technique, but don't have the knowledge to really exploit it (we haven't really done any more than just try to recognize when it is happening in our existing techniques).

Missing stair effect? is that another? "spatial distortion"? can that be induced?

But "non-contact mis-alignment" is not the same as "non-contact contouring" is it?

[KenpoChanger]

Although contouring is a broad concept, I am content right now with countouring myself, and simply identifying my opponent's strongest and weakest base of support through out the encounter.
Sean

[Dr. Dave in da house]

This is one of those topics from your seminar material that can really be of use to ANY style. Shaolin kempo tends to use 'grab and manipulate' in its techniques more than American Kenpo does (as far as I can tell anyway) and so we found this very relevant to us. I am far from having the understanding of alignment and PNF assessment of even your more junior students, but at least now we know how very important it is to both preserve your structure and destroy the attacker's. So when I am teaching a technique where the student is either grabbed or does the grabbing, it always starts and ends with POSTURE.

These lessons also allow us to transition into the groundfighting that we teach as well...

As far as the non-contact mis-alignment, we are aware of the visual cortex technique, but don't have the knowledge to really exploit it (we haven't really done any more than just try to recognize when it is happening in our existing techniques).

Missing stair effect? is that another? "spatial distortion"? can that be induced?

But "non-contact mis-alignment" is not the same as "non-contact contouring" is it?

I am, at heart, an evil SOB. When Doc first showed me the non-contact misalignments, I took to experimenting on the unsuspecting public as often as possible...reaching to open a door for someone, they mis-step; handing the change to a cashier in a way that triggers this effect, you can watch them have to re-figure out where they left the keyboard and cash drawer they've been working on for 6 hours. It's a kick, and the effects are easily induced, and notable.

D.

[Celtic_Crippler]

I am, at heart, an evil SOB. When Doc first showed me the non-contact misalignments, I took to experimenting on the unsuspecting public as often as possible...reaching to open a door for someone, they mis-step; handing the change to a cashier in a way that triggers this effect, you can watch them have to re-figure out where they left the keyboard and cash drawer they've been working on for 6 hours. It's a kick, and the effects are easily induced, and notable.

D.

Are you tapping into peoples natural reactions to certain movements?

[JamesB]

I think several that post here have been in seminars where I have misaligned them without contact before engagement.

yes I remember it well - eye opening doesn't come close to describing the experience

I am, at heart, an evil SOB. When Doc first showed me the non-contact misalignments, I took to experimenting on the unsuspecting public as often as possible...reaching to open a door for someone, they mis-step; handing the change to a cashier in a way that triggers this effect, you can watch them have to re-figure out where they left the keyboard and cash drawer they've been working on for 6 hours. It's a kick, and the effects are easily induced, and notable.

D.

that's mean! but funny - I gotta learn how to do that now

[Dr. Dave in da house]

Are you tapping into peoples natural reactions to certain movements?

Yes. Making sure to cross the width of their visual field or provide conflicting signals within it, nearer to their body as opposed to further, and it gives their brain pause for a moment while it tries to compartmentalize the movement. That pause-&-figger moment robs attentional resources from simple management functions (such as balance & coordination), and momentarily destabilizes the subject.

Have you ever tried punching in your ATM number in line at the grocery store while asking and answering questions with the people around you? Typically, it's too many non-harmonious notes in the air for attention to process, and we trim a few out by saying, "hang on a sec" while we finish our PIN. It's kinda like that. And while the brain is spacing & trying to regroup is when you put the move on.

The visual cortex disruptions are an SNL "subliminal man" way of doing this to an opponent. One of Docs demos about switching grips on a double wrist grab messes with my head every time, even after seeing it dozens of times...you grab at things that aren't there, because your brain -- for just a second -- insists something ought to still be there to grab (like that feel of a missed step). Very sleight-of-hand feel to it, but with some fun applications to kenpo. Can even be applied sparring...watch the guy try and regain his mental balance while you pop him.

D.

[Celtic_Crippler]

Yes. Making sure to cross the width of their visual field or provide conflicting signals within it, nearer to their body as opposed to further, and it gives their brain pause for a moment while it tries to compartmentalize the movement. That pause-&-figger moment robs attentional resources from simple management functions (such as balance & coordination), and momentarily destabilizes the subject.

Have you ever tried punching in your ATM number in line at the grocery store while asking and answering questions with the people around you? Typically, it's too many non-harmonious notes in the air for attention to process, and we trim a few out by saying, "hang on a sec" while we finish our PIN. It's kinda like that. And while the brain is spacing & trying to regroup is when you put the move on.

The visual cortex disruptions are an SNL "subliminal man" way of doing this to an opponent. One of Docs demos about switching grips on a double wrist grab messes with my head every time, even after seeing it dozens of times...you grab at things that aren't there, because your brain -- for just a second -- insists something ought to still be there to grab (like that feel of a missed step). Very sleight-of-hand feel to it, but with some fun applications to kenpo. Can even be applied sparring...watch the guy try and regain his mental balance while you pop him.

D.

Now you've seriously piqued my interest. I've been exposed to something similar in working with "trapping" techniques, but this sounds a bit different. I'd like to know more. Is there more information you can provide on this? Perhaps a clip or two demonstrating some applications? (Would make an excellent thread )

[Dr. Dave in da house]

Now you've seriously piqued my interest. I've been exposed to something similar in working with "trapping" techniques, but this sounds a bit different. I'd like to know more. Is there more information you can provide on this? Perhaps a clip or two demonstrating some applications? (Would make an excellent thread )

I've been working on getting the equipment necessary to post clips of things we dialogue about, particularly since one can show something in 1-2 minutes that would take hours to describe in writing, and still not be clear.

As soon as I get a bloody digital videocam...

[DavidCC]

I've been working on getting the equipment necessary to post clips of things we dialogue about, particularly since one can show something in 1-2 minutes that would take hours to describe in writing, and still not be clear.

As soon as I get a bloody digital videocam...

http://cgi.ebay.com/PANASONIC-PV-GS3...QQcmdZViewItem

[Doc]

I've been working on getting the equipment necessary to post clips of things we dialogue about, particularly since one can show something in 1-2 minutes that would take hours to describe in writing, and still not be clear.

As soon as I get a bloody digital videocam...

Nope!

[Billy Lear]

I'd like to see some of the material that Dr. Dave in da house wants to share. I say, more power to him.

[Celtic_Crippler]

I'd like to see some of the material that Dr. Dave in da house wants to share. I say, more power to him.

Ditto!
Especially since I'm seriously curious to see more on the subject non-contact misalignments.

[John M. La Tourrette]

I am, at heart, an evil SOB. When Doc first showed me the non-contact misalignments, I took to experimenting on the unsuspecting public as often as possible...reaching to open a door for someone, they mis-step; handing the change to a cashier in a way that triggers this effect, you can watch them have to re-figure out where they left the keyboard and cash drawer they've been working on for 6 hours. It's a kick, and the effects are easily induced, and notable.

D.

So, by your definition of contouring, it advances into the concept of hypnotic anchors that people have unconsciously, and then triggering those unconscious anchors of theirs consciously so that they go into deep trance?
How specifically?
Dr. John M. La Tourrette

[John M. La Tourrette]

Yes. Making sure to cross the width of their visual field or provide conflicting signals within it, nearer to their body as opposed to further, and it gives their brain pause for a moment while it tries to compartmentalize the movement. That pause-&-figger moment robs attentional resources from simple management functions (such as balance & coordination), and momentarily destabilizes the subject.

Have you ever tried punching in your ATM number in line at the grocery store while asking and answering questions with the people around you? Typically, it's too many non-harmonious notes in the air for attention to process, and we trim a few out by saying, "hang on a sec" while we finish our PIN. It's kinda like that. And while the brain is spacing & trying to regroup is when you put the move on.

The visual cortex disruptions are an SNL "subliminal man" way of doing this to an opponent. One of Docs demos about switching grips on a double wrist grab messes with my head every time, even after seeing it dozens of times...you grab at things that aren't there, because your brain -- for just a second -- insists something ought to still be there to grab (like that feel of a missed step). Very sleight-of-hand feel to it, but with some fun applications to kenpo. Can even be applied sparring...watch the guy try and regain his mental balance while you pop him.

D.

Yep.
Simple trance inductions using naturally occuring anchors.
Many books in the NLP field do cover this and methods of doing this.
"Frogs into Princes", "Transformations", etc.

In fact I've taught that specific concept for self-defense and sparring for 30 years.
Of course it doesn't work, right?

I'm glad this was brought up and that others have also added it to Kenpo Karate.
Dr. John M. La Tourrette