Lines of Attack

By Rathryn Ramos

BASICS
If we look at the human body, there are basically four portions of the body, divided by a horizontal line at the solar plexus (just below the rib cage) and a vertical line from the top of the head, down through the nose, out through the groin (also referred to as the centre in some martial arts, such as kung fu).

If we apply pressure to the lower half of the human body it will not move, but will be damaged, especially if targeting the knees (virtually the only exposed joints in the lower part), which will also most likely bring the target down. If we apply pressure to the top part, the target will move back, due to being unbalanced.

The same goes for applying pressure to the right and left side, moving the body to the right and left respectively.

Now taking this doesn't seem to be of much use, but if we look at it in combination with the eight basic lines of attack, corresponding to the eight directions on the compass (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW), it allows us to make combinations of attack with greater effectiveness.

These lines of attack are readily apparent when in combination with a sword or other weapon, but technically the same principle applies to unarmed attacks, as the weapon is basically merely an extension of the arm and thus of the damage, a lot of people seem to forget this however.

The same lines of attacks exist for kicks and punches, more or less, though the first have more diagonal movements, due to the steepness of kicks to the head as opposed to those to the thigh, but I'll discuss that later.

Knowing these basic lines of attack makes blocking manoeuvers more obvious and thus more readily available, especially against weapons and can thus improve the odds of victory or survival, depending on the situation. Along the same lines it will also allow you to predict the most obvious block and possible counter attack if you are the one initiating an attack.

BASIC BLOCKING MOVEMENTS
These basic blocks are usually movements to the opposite side of the attack, so a left hook would be blocked by a movement to the left of the left arm (line of attack is to the right and the block is a movement to the left). Which means that the left hand is tied up in defense momentarily and the most likely counter would come from the right hand (at punching distance kicks are usually impractical, to say the least) or either of the knees, though most people would most likely go for the punch. This allows you to prepare for the attack that is now readily obvious.

One of the biggest exceptions to this rule of thumb is escrima, this fighting style attacks the attacking limb, breaking the wrist or fingers of the hand that strikes, but this is outside of the scope of this article and outside of my knowledge (mostly).

The other exception consists of the grappling arts, which focus more on catching the limb that attacks, rather than blocking it, but even then the movements and reactions are remarkably similar, a movement to the opposing direction from which the attack came, the biggest difference is, of course, the outcome.

Now you might ask why I cover blocking before covering attacking and the answer is quite simple. If you know how the opponent will most likely react, you will be able to attack more efficiently, as well as strike true more often.

Secondly a block will most likely expose a different part of the body or enforce a reaction that makes the target more susceptible to a specific attack, meaning you'll have to know what the target will be doing and how.

BASIC STRIKING
The exact method of striking will depend on the particular martial art you practice, but you will most likely find a lot of similarities between the different styles if you would take the time to look into that, the manner in which the fingers are placed, or if a fist or the heel of the hand are used are all just details. The attacks follow a series of lines as discussed above and all of these attacks have more or less the same effect when they connect, though 'pushing' attacks will have more effect on the movement of the target than 'snapping' attacks do.

This effect, as discussed above, is usually the moving back of the target in the opposite direction, dealing damage or a blocking damage that mirrors the movements of the attack.

Now, knowing the effect that working along these lines has can be very beneficial to the use of strikes in combinations. If for instance you would target the left shoulder with a staff or stick and use a sweeping attack to the right, the target is likely to move back and to the right, so if you immediately after the swing reverse it and let it travel back along the same path, it is likely to connect. It would be the same if we replaced the staff or stick with a fist.

Another method we could use to improve the accuracy of our strikes is to shift the line of attack mid-way. For instance changing a diagonally downward punch to the point where the neck meets the shoulder to a horizontal one to the head or a downwards one to the shoulder. This technique will most likely take some practice as I, for one, haven't seen it done often. It may however be a rather effective striking method for bypassing the guard. More often though this method is used in, for instance, Muay Thai kicks. In such instances the target expects a kick to the thigh, but finds it in his side.

These basic principles of striking apply to all of the body's weaponry and any melee weaponry that's added to its arsenal. The knees and elbows, though limited in their reach, are still subject to the same principles.

BASIC TARGETS
Targeting, though generally understood by most martial artists, fighters and outsiders of any form of combat is still a vital part that contributes to the effectiveness of the strikes. As stated above the body is basically divided into four squares, divided by the horizontal line at the solar plexus and the centre line perpendicular to that.

This divides the body into four major target zones, consisting of smaller targets, the specifics of which I'll go into in more detail later.

Now what you'll need to remember is that whether or not the strike connects, the target zone will most likely move back in a perpetuation of the line of attack, so along the same line as an extension of the attack, of sorts.

Now if we'd name the zones A, B, C and D, for the upper-left, upper-right, bottom-right and bottom-left corners respectively we can state that if we strike zone A with sufficient force, we can knock the target over, causing it to fall on his left shoulder. The same would apply to zone B, but the target would land on the right shoulder.

Zones C & D however are a little more complex, when it comes to their movement. Due to the entire body resting on the total of these zones, so basically both legs support the weight of the body, meaning that it will be a lot harder to knock the target over when this area is struck (assuming normal conditions in which the weight is more or less evenly distributed). Which means that if we want to topple the target, we'll need to make sure we either time our strike to the target zone when it is the only one supporting the weight of the body, or we need to create a situation in which this situation is produced. The latter of which I will not go into at this time.

Now we cannot speak of targets without mentioning targeting and bypassing the guard and blocking manoeuvers. We speak of blocking when we move a limb or weapon in the path of the incoming attack, it is called parrying if used more actively to redirect the attack.

This means that the weapon or limb most move, uncovering a different part of the body, creating another valid target within the zone. With experience comes the ability to exploit these temporary weaknesses and you will probably learn to do so effectively with time and training. Nevertheless it is an aspect I wanted to point out.

Another thing that I mentioned before is the guard, a more passive form of blocking attacks, this is the more or less stationary basic position which the hands are in to allow the most effective blocking and parrying, it is also used to refer to grappling blocks, but I will go into that some other time. This position of the hands is, as said, the most effective way to protect yourself against incoming attacks, this differs from style to style, as the style of blocking differs as well.

Getting passed this guard is the most effective way of making sure that hits connect, the easiest way to do this is to ensure that the hands are away from the guard so that it is left incomplete or not present at all.

This can most effectively be done with feints or jabs that draw away the hands, but with a bit of creative thought you'll probably be able to think of some more, as well as exploit an opponent's errors and weaknesses concerning his guard and blocking.

BASIC EVADING
As mentioned multiple times before the easiest way to get out of the way of an incoming attack is to move the target zone in the manner described above (i.e. follow along the path of the blow), preferably at a speed that is equal to or exceeds the speed of attack. This basic system of evading works for single attacks, but it will most likely leave you rather open for combinations thrown by a more seasoned fighter.

Hence it is often more profitable to retreat to a safer distance with the entire body, rather than just a portion of it. This also allows you to regroup, as it were, and step back into the fight with a renewed focus.

It is also a method of widening the distance and getting into a different striking range. There are basically 4 such ranges that apply to close combat, kicking range (when kicks can be dealt out effectively), punching range (where punching is the most effective method of attack), clinching range (akin to what is seen in boxing and muay thai when elbows and knees are often used) and grappling range (when you are actually holding your opponent or one of his limbs and manipulating that directly). In some cases the last two may be referred to as a single range, being the grappling range most likely, but due to its intent I have separated them for the purpose of this article.

Every style and every fighter has its pros and cons for each range. Tae kwon do for example is well known for its kicks and is most comfortable at kicking range, while boxers work better at punching range and muay thai is renowned for its elbow and knee work at clinching range. So it is a good idea to exploit these strengths and weaknesses, but a bad one to rely on them complete. A good fighter will be able to use all of these ranges effectively.

OVERALL BASICS
Now if we list these basic things together we get the following list. Try to keep this in mind, because I think it will help you out in sparring, matches and, regrettably, self-defense situations.

The body is divided into four general areas by the solar plexus horizon and the centre line, these target zones can be attacked from eight basic angles, corresponding to the directions on a compass, called lines of attack. Attacking a certain zone will result in movement of that zone, either by evasion or by impact, opening up more possibilities for attack.

There are three manners of blocking: parrying (actively operating to redirect or stop the attack) or blocking (passively holding a limb or weapon in the attack's trajectory). Both of which expose a part of the body to attack.

Evasion overcomes this possibility of being hit somewhat, as does blocking, but evasion can also be used as a tactical rest period, or to back up to a more comfortable striking range. Evasion is the act of moving out of the way of the attack.

Lastly we discussed targeting and named the squares of the body A, B, C and D, starting from the upper left one and following through in clockwise direction. The effects of these have also been discussed and are rather simple. There are 2 rules of thumb: 1) upper squares (A, B) move the target back if struck, while the lower ones don't and 2) left squares (A, D) pivot the target to the left (so effectively move him to the right) and vice versa on the other side.

SPECIFICS: SWORD AND SHIELD
Sword and shield use is outdated in current society and considered backwards by many, but basically the MP use the same tactics with their shields and clubs and there are more things imaginable in a similar situation. I've called it sword and shield because that is the version off of which the rest is based. I've decided to look at this specific scenario because it limits the amount of targets greatly if the shield is used adequately.

The shield in this case is referred to as a defensive weapon, due to its ability to be used as a weapon along with the weapon in the other hand. The shield is always held out a small distance from the body and is moved into an incoming attack, more parrying than blocking, hence it being referred to as a defensive weapon.

Anyway, lets look at the basics of this style of fighting as used in the Middle Ages in Europe, the styles in other parts of the world are remarkably similar, apparently, but I know most of the European style. There are three basic stances, or guards as they are sometimes called, the high stance, the middle stance and the back stance. These I'll discus in more detail later. It should be noted that all these have their own pros and cons and strengths and weaknesses.

The first stance is the high stance, this one is the one that is often considered the most aggressive, though not the most defensive stance it is still highly effective. The sword is held above the shoulder, next to the head at a 45-degree angle.

This can open up the shield arm to attack from the bottom, but you'll have to be quick to do so. Most lines of attack are blocked to the wrist, the few ones that could be used are horizontal and thrusting attacks. Attacks to the elbow would be a lot more effective seeing as a lot more lines of attack are open, except those lines blocked by the head, then again this is a viable target in and of itself. Now looking at the chest as a target we see that it is mostly covered by the shield and will most likely be defended too well to get through, especially from the shield-side, as with all these stances.

You can expect most swings to come from above, or so it would seem. It is far too easy for a practitioner to swing his sword low, perhaps even temporarily drop to a back stance, and attack with an attack that swings the other way. In fact it is even relatively easy for a swordsman to swing the sword over his head and attack over the top of his shield.

The second stance is the middle stance, this stance is the one that is known by many as the swordwielding stance and Hollywood seems hell-bent on perpetuating this myth. Anyway, this style is the most general of them all, the sword can easily go anywhere and can even easily aid in defense if the shield is found lacking (which usually means that the shield is used ineffectively, but that's an entirely different matter). The sword also blocks out most attacks to the 'open' side of the torso as well as to the neck and, if raised slightly, to the head and shoulder.

The hand however is open to attack, if you're accurate and fast enough to hit it. The shoulder and head can still be hit with downward slashes, both diagonal and vertical. The neck could possibly be hit with a diagonal slash over the top of the sword as well.

The last stance is the back stance, this is the one that seems the most open, but it is also the most deceiving of styles, as you cannot see what the weapon will do until it has effectively started the action. This is accomplished by holding the sword low at a 45-degree angle towards the ground. The most effective attacks from this position are slashes and it is hard to determine what path the slash will travel as part of the swordsman blocks view on his sword.

It is often assumed that the sword-side of the swordsman is left wide open and is very susceptible to attack, but the posture he is in is likely to turn his upper body slightly away from his opponent, hiding it even more behind the shield, cutting down the possibilities for attack greatly.

The fact that the sword is held low means, however, that the head, neck and shoulder are left more open as it is self-detrimental to hide behind the shield, it blocks vision, as you might expect. So these are slightly more susceptible to attack if you can bypass the shield.

Now, you might have noticed that I have only covered target areas above the hips, this is due to the fact that, unless the opponent has a tower shield, anything from the hips down is basically open to attack most of the time. The exception of course being adequate shield use.

Knowing these logical things and actually applying them properly are two very distinct issues and they apply to any form of weapon and shield use, or even dual-weapon use for that matter. It will take practice and time to fully exploit potential weaknesses and to use a shield adequately, so don't expect any over-night miracles to happen. Just practice, practice, practice and try to keep some of these pointers in mind.

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Rathryn Ramos started martial arts, because he was being picked on a lot and got into a few scraps, most of which he lost. His mom paid his karate-lessons (Wado Ryu style) and within a year, maybe 2, he managed to climb to 5th Kyu (orange belt).

But that's when he also found out there were other sports, including horse riding (which he'd done for 10 years or so) and archery (which he only did for a few weeks).

The martial arts bug never let go though and he's been reading up on and watching a lot of martial arts ever since that fateful day back in '96 when his mom took him to karate in that weird white pajama.

Currently he trains in: escrima, t'ai chi, jiu-jitsu, Western swordsmanship and basically any other style he can manage to get his grubby hands on, firmly believing Bruce Lee's: 'no style as a style'-principle.

Mr. Ramos is also a moderator and frequent contributor on the Warrior Pages' Forum.