Infighting is the name given to certain
martial art
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preserv ...
techniques used while in close proximity to the opponent. The Chinese martial art of
Wing Chun
Wing Chun (Chinese: 詠春 or 咏春, lit. "singing spring"), sometimes spelled Ving Tsun, is a concept-based fighting art, form of Nanquan (martial art), Southern Chinese kung fu and close-quarters system of self-defense. In Mandarin, it is ...
specializes in infighting.
Technique
The key points of infighting are the control of the enemy's angle of attack, i.e., to control and limit the ways or angles through which an opponent may find an opening in one's guard to counterattack or get past a block or guard. This is attained by controlling the opponent's attacking limb, transferring momentum and debilitating his stability by forcing his posture/position and shifting his mass on his center line. Examples include:
*
Chi sao
Wing Chun (Chinese: 詠春 or 咏春, lit. "singing spring"), sometimes spelled Ving Tsun, is a concept-based fighting art, form of Southern Chinese kung fu and close-quarters system of self-defense. In Mandarin, it is pronounced "Yong Chun. ...
drills in Wing Chun
*
Tui shou in
Tai Chi
Tai chi (), short for Tai chi ch'üan ( zh, s=太极拳, t=太極拳, first=t, p=Tàijíquán, labels=no), sometimes called "shadowboxing", is an neijia, internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and medita ...
*Joint-lock flow in
Small Circle JuJitsu
*Hubud-Lubud of
Filipino Martial Arts
Secondary elements include the creation of angles of attack and defense by maneuvering the limbs of the opponent, parrying and blocking properly with the necessary movements and posture to gain the upper hand and strike from a safe angle.
Distance of travel
One key element to infighting is the distance traveled by the attacking limb. Infighting is a way to attack to the opponent's center line while preventing a counterattack that can travel straight towards the attacker's center line. Even at a close distance, when the fighters' torsos are very close, the attacker might use their arms at full extension and focus the stress point or attack/defense portions of their limbs at their ends. Distance in infighting isn't what gives it its name, but instead, it's how to get past the opponent's guard and fight inside of it. An example would be to say that a fighter, even at a distance where his jab is touching his opponent's chin with the opponent not leaning backwards or forwards, at a neutral stance, is an infighter when his blows and blocks use the space between them and the opponent has to attack from an outward angle (use
haymakers or hooks).
References
Martial arts terminology
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