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Leg Fencing (Tape 2B): T.O.P. Tool Drills
A Product Review by Phil Elmore
When
Scott Sonnon sent me
a copy his three-tape
Leg
Fencing set and asked that I do an honest review of it, I was a
little intimidated. I’ll admit it: I tend towards a weakness
that many in the martial arts have, and that is that I prefer striking
with my hands to kicking with my feet. This is a natural bias in
human beings, I think. We’re used to using our legs for little else
than walking around, whereas we use our hands and arms for just about
everything else.
Well, growth can be both painful and unsettling — but it is worth it.
If you’re looking to increase your leg flexibility, power, control, and
speed, the Leg Fencing series is one you should consider.
TAPE 2B
The production values of Tape 2B are similar to those of the first two
tapes. The sound level of the intro and outtro music is too loud
when compared to Scott’s speaking voice, though this is a minor complaint.
Closer shots of Scott and his training partners are fine, and the camera
moves up and down as needed to capture torso and leg movement. Wide
shots, in which the camera pans back to reveal more of the 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 discussion of the Trinity Tactic and Training
Protocol. Scott discusses
bound flow
and says that every time you intend to do one thing, deliver a single
technique or motion, you are binding your flow each time that single
action ends. To stay in flow, you must minimize the time between
techniques. Don’t do a single thing. Do three
different things at the same time. But be warned: this is not
a technique. “If you think of it as a technique,” Scott says,
“you’ve just sucked the training value out of it.” The trinity
tactic and training protocol is a training tool. Your task is
to flow in a fluid drill and apply the principle, not throw it as a
technique. The concept quite logically leads to the “saturate” phase
of the T.O.P. strategy, in which you overwhelm your opponent.
The drills continue, picking up where tape 2A ended. (Normally,
training should be conducted alternating from static drill to fluid drill,
not as a series of static drills in succession.)
In the Static Drill Under-Hook Blocking Knees, a shoulder-depth
secure clinch at hip depth is required. Scott demonstrates the
proper clinch needed to block the opponent at the hips, thus blocking or
mitigating knee strikes. The fighter must feel the weight transfer,
developing accurate threat perception in the process.
In a segment on Static Drill Fine Points, Scott demonstrates how
to remove your elbow from the clinch by moving it to the hip to pull it
out. From hip depth, you can’t apply knees too well — you need
space. The drill works on the point at which the hips are “married”
to facilitate what Scott calls “flight lessons,” or takedowns. One
very good point Scott makes here is that your hips must be out to protect
you from grappling, which makes you vulnerable to strikes — but if your
hips are in to protect from strikes, you are vulnerable to
grappling. When your opponent’s hips are out, strike him. When
they are in, throw him.
Discussing Fluid Drills, Scott tells us to start from the
“secure” phase — the clinch — with the hips out. Training partner
Dan and Scott demonstrate this, blocking each other’s knee strikes.
Scott reminds the viewer to keep the knees bent, maintain a secure hold,
and keep posture low.
In the Static Drill Takedown #1, Defensive Hip Throw, from the
overhook/underhook clinch, the fighter must feel the knee coming in and up
the body. “Marrying with the force,” he throws the opponent over his
hip.
In the Static Drill Takedown #2, Wizzer, the fighter pulls his
elbow back, lifts the shoulder to expose the wrist and get wrist control,
and, with his other hand on the back of the opponent’s head, jams the
shoulder down. This drops the opponent. Anyone familiar with
wrestling from high school will recognize the application of this control
over the opponent’s head.
The Static Drill Takedown #3, Lateral Hip Lift, involves moving
across the opponent’s body, pulling his hip into yours, and screwing
upwards as his weight transfers while delivering a knee. Scott lifts
Dan completely off the floor doing this move.
In motion, locking arms and power transfer arms can loosen. The
Static Drill Head and Arm Clinch at Hip Depth with Knee Strikes
teaches the opponents to take advantage of this in getting a good head and
arm clinch.
In the Static Drill Takedown #4, Gut Wrench Body Wave, the
fighter inhibits the opponent’s diaphragm through the “gut wrench.”
He performs a “body wave” to life and take and opponent down from that gut
wrench as his hips come in. This delivers shock and gives the
fighter a chance to saturate the opponent with strikes.
In the Fluid Drill Protocol, Hip Depth, Scott explains that once
the training partners get to, say, elbow depth, they must work their way
back to shoulder depth to deliver strikes, throws, and takedowns at hip
depth.
In a segment on Transcending Range and Range Compression, Scott
has donned a pair of padded gloves without fingertips. In practice
you may not get the “secure” phase, he reiterates. You may have to
go directly to “shock” and “saturate.” Don’t isolate your weapons to
a particular range, he says. Instead, learn to move and compress
range as needed. This is related to
flow.
Fluid Drill Protocols for Elbow to Shoulder Depth,
Wrist to Elbow Depth, Shoulder to Wrist Depth, and Wrist to
Shoulder Depth follow. One of the more important points among
these is that wrist control is a fundamental exercise, paramount to
keeping your balance and controlling your opponent.
In the Dynamic Drill Protocol, Transcending Range with T.O.P.
Strategy, the opponents start from non-contact range and move inside
to apply the Secure, Shock, and Saturate strategy. As they
get closer, they reduce variables and increase their ability to collect
data about each other.
In the Dynamic Drill Protocols for Bloodsport, Evolution,
and Role-Play, Scott describes a number of ways to make
training more interesting while exploring and better learning the training
strategies of different styles and specific fighters. I particularly
liked, and can relate to, the drill he calls “Bloodsport,” in which an
opponent uses a specific (and often quite different) style. In
sparring or combat drills this is something I have seen both of my martial
teachers do.
Throughout the Leg Fencing series, Scott refers to
other tapes, such as Flow
Fighting, Fisticuffs, Immovable Object – Unstoppable Force,
and others. He has established an impressive body of work to which
you can refer for more detail on a variety of subjects, though I believe
the Leg Fencing series stands fairly well by itself.
Scott begins each tape in this series with a quote:
“Be more prepared than the challenges you will face.”
I believe his material goes a long way
towards helping you accomplish this goal.