Shielding

Every time I read an article on how to defend against multiple attackers I invariably see something on shielding. Want to learn how to fight multiple opponents? Just use one of the attackers as a shield to stop the rest getting to you. You can find videos of someone demonstrating how they can use one person as a shield and strike others as they come at them, or lining other attackers up behind the person being used as a shield, etc. These demonstrations invariably have a couple of things in common; they are always in slow motion with students playing their part to make the demo work.

When the group members become more activated, they are not so easy to man-handle or manipulate. You are not going to get that Vulcan nerve pinch you were aiming for, or easily throw them into other attackers. More importantly, an activated group has real intent to get the individual. If the group members can measure what the individual is doing, then it’s much more probable they will get them. Then you will see the typical shielding scenarios start to fail with alarming regularity.

You can expect a different type of response from a high functioning group when you try to use one of the group members as a shield. For starters, active group members are unlikely to allow themselves to be used as a shield, they will be far less compliant than demonstrations would suggest. The other thing you will find is the group is so intent on getting you that you won't have the time to try and manipulate someone as a shield, the other group members don't hang back to give you those few seconds needed to attempt shielding.   

For some reason we are socially conditioned to see fellow group members as objects we need to move around in order to get to the individual, and shielding as a technical solution relies on this. Once the group members understand that this is just a conditioned response which can be overcome, they then go after the individual much more forcefully. As an 'attacker' in group attack training you can path straight through anyone being used as a shield or just accelerate the shield into the individual.

When you are playing the part of an attacker in the group, don’t let anything stop you from getting the individual. Get a couple of other group members into the same frame of mind and you will see a big difference in the group and in the strategies the individual can safely use.

In my earlier posts I have discussed elements of the strategy for dealing with high functioning groups, which is to create a mass effect by accelerating straight through the centre of an opponent’s attack. When dealing with multiple attackers, you don’t have time to attempt to manipulate your attackers. If you are to avoid being taken down by the group then you only afford to spend one moment for each attacker you encounter. Obviously if you keep hold of one attacker to use them as a shield then you break these rules.

So what can shielding look like when you are accelerating through the group? Have a look at the diagram below but just remember that diagrams are open more than one interpretation. As seen in the example below, the individual ‘Y’ is using their accelerated mass to enable them to deflect attacker 1 into the path of attacker 3.

The basic idea of advanced group attack skills is that you have to move through each attacker in your progression to an exit. Though when I look at this diagram I cannot help thinking that unless the exit was just behind opponent number 2, you would not bother with that person, as attempting to use shielding would just be wasting time unnecessarily. You would just go straight through attacker no.1 with enough acceleration that attackers 2 and 3 could not get you.

 

Sometimes attacker no. 1 will move slightly to the side to avoid the full force of your mass effect. If this happens, then as you go through them your action accelerates them in the direction they were going, sending them into the path of the attackers coming at you from the side or from behind them.

If you are fully energised with a sufficient mass effect then shielding is something you will realise you don’t need to bother with, as it will happen within the group as a by-product or consequence of your actions. You will shield yourself by your accelerated action going through each attacker.

Never forget that you may have to account for skilled opposition in a group; attackers who are not pushovers. You could meet a group member who has good absorption skills and you don’t get through them but are instead deflected off at an angle. However, even as you deflect off them, the opponent will likely not be able to handle your full mass effect and will be moved out of your path and hopefully into the path of another attacker.

 

As always with group work, train safely and under the supervision of a qualified instructor