Abandon All Techniques Ye Who Enter Here

Why do the techniques found in strikes, kicks, grappling, throws, wrestling, ground fighting, etc. work against a single opponent, but start to break down when applied against multiple opponents? The simple answer is time. Techniques require time to effectively apply them and they struggle to be effective when a certain level of chaos is reached. Techniques start to break down heavily when you get just one additional attacker.

While they may not appreciate it, the combatants in a two man battle have the luxury of time. In a two man battle, the situation is somewhat like a game of speed chess where there is time to plan your next move. Techniques are generally based on countering one set of resistances at a time. The theory for their application against a single opponent is you need to assimilate information from the opponent fast enough so that you can find the right response for the up and coming attack. A large number of exponents are very good at speeding these processes up to appear superb at resisting an offensive. They still however require time.

When it comes to multiple attackers, there is not enough time to prepare solutions that take time to sort out and execute. Logically, what we see now, cannot be happening now. The brain receives the information in a delayed fashion and then it takes extra time to process it and act on the newly assessed information. When you are confronted with a time-critical situation, the visualisations you initially create in your mind of how you should respond have little bearing to what you should do as the battle progresses. The real world moves away from your imagination faster than you can find solutions or even act upon them.

In a group attack, time is limited to spending only one moment on an attacker. If you spend too much time on one attacker then the opponents you are not focusing on will let you know that they are there to be dealt with as well. It’s a mistake to assume that you have time to measure and assess each attacker, as that is when the group will take you to ground and the scenario gets worse for you from then on.

So what do you do about the chaos to be found in a group attack situation? How do you tame it and get it under control, so you can use your techniques? The answer may not be one you want to hear. To excel in the multiple attacker environment you have to embrace that increased level of chaos and confusion and learn to thrive in it. Think of it this way - the more you can accelerate through the attackers, the greater the chaos you can create. It’s a strange notion that chaos could be your ally and that you might actively seek to enhance it and be lost in it (to the group’s eyes), but advanced multiple attacker strategies have a tendency to turn the usual rules on their heads.

So what about your techniques you ask?  The answer as usual is not clear cut. They may work if the group of attackers is low functioning but if the group is high functioning then your techniques will almost certainly fail.

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