Training

Approach.

A fighter must be trained to move instinctively from one technique to the next without committing to memory. A fighter must respond in the moment based on his or her mental makeup, physical attributes and the attack at hand. Each student needs to respond in their way. This is the goal of Katu Vuur.

Unless performing destruction techniques, students do not meet power with power. We do not block bone on bone, or use hard blocks especially if the opponent is larger or stronger. Students will use slipping and deflection. Evasive movement is the key. Hit and don’t get hit.

One of the general rules of fighting is to be unpredictable. The student will learn broken rhythm and deceptive movements and attacks.

Katu Vuur is designed so that a female can defend against a large male. Techniques must work on stronger and faster opponents. To accomplish this a student must have mobility, speed and power. Training consists of neutralizing the opponent’s advantage, understanding the different ways of attack, and being able to fight in all four zones (kicking, punching, trapping and ground fighting) and controlling the distance.

Techniques.

Katu Vuur integrates many techniques from boxing, martial arts styles, and non-combat activities. Many of these techniques are modify. For instance, when blocking punches and kicks in a Boxing/Kickboxing match, a fighter may take the strike on the glove. But in a realistic altercation with no gloves a fighter will suffer a broken hand or arm.

Ground fighting techniques have been tested on grass and concrete and have been modified to reduce injury on the ground. Katu Vuur uses destruction techniques that not only disable the arms and legs, but can be used to block or neutralize an attack.

Body and Style Types:

It is important for the student to know what techniques, tactics and strategies to employ based on the person in front of you. The student will be taught how to fight a person that is a different size, faster, stronger, or has a different style of fighting such as an out boxer, counterpuncher, swarmer, slugger, kicker, boxer puncher or grappler.

The student will learn how to keep an attacker off balance both mentally and physically. This can be done using offensive and defensive timing along with deception to setup both physical and mental off-balance situations.

When you lack the power or weight of your attacker you must use your body to create leverage. Students will learn how to transfer their weight to generate more power when performing joint locks, strikes and takedowns.

Realistic Training.

Katu Vuur will teach students how to deal with many different types of realistic altercations. Use of realistic training methods will prepare the student for what they will face in a real altercation. Training in the gym must simulate real combat. You must train for a trained fighter and for a wild, untrained fighter.

It has been said that “when all skills are equal, size makes a difference.” This system teaches that size always makes a difference, along with strength, mental makeup, speed and natural ability to give a punch and to take a punch.

Vital and vulnerable targets. Vital (primary) targets are the eyes, groin, spine, and throat. Vulnerable (secondary) targets would be the temple, knees, the joints in the arm, wrists, hands, ankles, feet, liver, kidneys, and muscles in the arms and legs. Destruction techniques will be used to attack muscles and nerves causing temporary paralysis.

When a serious attacker grabs you, the attacker will not simply stand there trying to intimidate you. They will try to jerk you or move you in some fashion. Students train for being taken off balance and/or taken to the ground. This goes for hair grabs, arm grabs, pushing, pulling, choking and just full-scale dives and tackles. To get free from danger quickly, a student must move and strike a vital area.

Attacks may come in many ways. Your attacker will not step and punch and then wait for you to respond. This does not simulate a real fight. In many cases the attacker will, very violently, jump or lung in punching and grabbing. The attacker will throw his full energy toward you in an effort to overpower you. Although this is not always true, most violent encounters occur in this manner. Especially if your attacker is angry, or larger, and believes he can overpower you.

Students must feel trained to respond to this kind of realistic attack or they will lack confidence in their techniques. A small person cannot trade closed fist karate punches with a 250-pound man. Many styles don’t train their students to deal with a man swinging wildly (flailing his arms) from all directions. Katu Vuur trains students to deal with real combat situations along with how to fight a trained fighter.

You may find yourself in a situation where the attacker is approaching you and you have time to prepare, or the attacker may be beside you. So, some of our self-defense involves the attacker bridging the gap (moving toward you), and some involves your attacker being right on you. Students will learn to deal with both.

Since no attacker fights the same, a student must prepare by learning different styles of kicking/boxing/trapping/grappling. This will allow the student to adapt and neutralize those particular styles of attacks. There are many styles of martial arts systems but we can break them all down into basic categories using kicking, boxing, trapping, and grappling styles. A street fighter will fit into these same categories but his technique maybe wild, unorthodox, off balanced and unskilled. You must adapt to the person in front of you.

Our techniques are integrated so that a student can flow from one technique and tactic to another. If one technique or tactic does not work, the student will immediately move to the next. To simulate a real altercation, you must react to what happens during the fight as opposed to remembering prearranged techniques

Adult Training.

A student must be large enough and old enough to workout with an adult. This is not G-rated combat. Because techniques we teach are not suited for children, we must set the minimum age to 13 years old. A child’s body will change from age 12 to age 13. At 13 a child becomes more self-aware, strives or independence, and begins to think in the abstract – along with many other physical and social changes. Their cerebral cortex starts to develop at this age. They begin to see the consequences of their actions. That development will continue until age 24. Because of this we feel that starting at that age will allow the young adult to grow and understand when to use the art and the proper level of response to a given situation. Also, since they could achieve a 1st degree black by the time they graduate high school, they will have sufficient skills to defend themselves when they leave for college, military or simply move away.

Workout Clothing.

Students wear sweat shirts, T-shirts, long workout pants, short workout pants, hoodie (no hoodies when grappling). Students may wear tennis shoes on the hard floor or may go bare foot.

No jewelry in class. No pants with metal snaps or zippers on the mats. No shoes on the mats – only socks or bare feet.

Since attackers and defenders do not wear Karate uniforms in realistic altercations, we feel it best to train in workout attire that is as close to normal dress in today’s society as we can get.