Get Off Centerline

Summary

The text outlines three methods to avoid an attack by getting off the centerline: moving oneself, redirecting the attack, or combining both movements.

Abstract

The article "Get Off Centerline" discusses the importance of avoiding an attacker's centerline to prevent being hit. It details three primary strategies: physically moving oneself out of the attack's path, using martial arts techniques to deflect or redirect the attack, and a combination of both moving and redirecting. The combined approach is emphasized as the most efficient, allowing for quicker counterattacks or retreats while conserving energy. The text suggests that this method appears effortless to an observer, as it effectively splits the energy between two tasks. The author, Larry Nowicki, invites readers to explore more at his website, Hidden Forge, and encourages them to keep their martial arts training simple and enjoyable.

Opinions

The author believes that even a small amount of force can deflect a much larger attack, highlighting the efficiency of martial arts techniques.
Moving out of the way on an angle while shifting weight and turning hips is presented as a key method to get off the centerline.
Redirecting an attack is not about stopping it but rather about changing its direction so that it misses the target.
Combining movement with redirection is considered the best way to avoid an attack, as it requires less space and energy.
The author values simplicity and effectiveness in martial arts, coining the acronym KISS (Keep It Silly Simple) to emphasize this philosophy.
There is an implied opinion that readers can benefit from the author's expertise by visiting his website, Hidden Forge, which may contain valuable, lesser-known knowledge.

Get Off Centerline

When an attack is coming

There are 3 ways to get off the centerline when being attacked.

You move.

You move The attack.

You both move.

When an attack is coming, you don’t stand in front of it to not get hit. You move out of the way. This is accomplished by stepping forward or back on an angle and shifting your weight forward or back while turning your hips. This will get you off the centerline. The attack doesn’t have to miss you by much, but it does have to miss you.

Another way to get out of the way is to move the attack. In Tai chi, as well as other martial arts, it is said that 1 ounce can deflect a thousand pounds. When we parry or deflect an attack, we don’t try to stop it we just redirect.

The attack misses you because you have redirected its centerline.

The best way to avoid the attack is to do both. You move out of the way while redirecting it. Doing this takes less space to move out of the way and less energy to redirect the attack.

Stepping out of the way and into a position where you can attack or retreat quicken’s the time required to accomplish the task. And deflecting the attack, your arms our positions to deliver countertop or deflect the second attack.

To an outside observer, it would seem as if you did not exert much energy to accomplish the task. In splitting the energies to two tasks at the same time uses less energy on both while you accomplishing the same result.

So if you happen to be in the way of an attack remember to move out of the way while parring you can get you to a safe zone with less effort.

The safe zone is a position where you are not threatened by the attack. You are in a place where it cannot hit you. This is a conversation for another time.

Thank you for being with us today you could have been somewhere else but chose to be here.

Thanks for reading. You could have spent your time elsewhere but you choose to be here.

Would you like to find some of the things you didn’t know you needed to know? Check out https://hiddenforge.net/

I’m Larry Nowicki the KISS Specialist. What do you want me to kiss for you today?

Keep It Silly Simple.