Murphy Martial Arts

While Most Martial Arts are by nature very aggressive (including most Kempo systems), and look to engage the opponent, there are a few that appear not to be on the surface.  For example practitioners of Kosho Shorei Ryu Kempo believe that the highest level of self defense, is to have no contact with your opponent. In true self defense they believe not only should you not be harmed, but neither should your attacker. Therefore the approach is not to engage if possible. They accomplish this by using escaping, and evading techniques.

Kosho is very much about preparatory arts, timing, and positioning.  So to understand escaping patterns please read  my posts on eye training, and positioning/ octagon Theory, etc..  You need to understand those things first.

This is one of many escaping patterns, that practitioners practice.  To understand how it works think of yourself as starting in the center of the octagon. You then move to each of the eight directions and back to center in order. You can continue the pattern as long as necessary.

Kosho folks always move twice. The first move is intended to put them at a 90 degree angle on their opponent, the second move can do the same, or be used to go through the opponent. For the purposes of escaping you would always be looking to end up 90 degrees on your opponent or possibly behind him. They always move twice because they assume there attacker will attack with all their weapons. Two arms means two punches. So for example the first move would be to position 1, and then move back to where they started. The next moves would be to position 2, then back to center, etc..

Now if you had an attacker start at position 7 or 4  and attacks you in the center, you could move to position 1 ( I used those two directions because moving to direction 1 would be appropriate only with the right combination of eye training and distance). Assuming the attacker continues his attack following you to where you move, you know where is is going to move one move before he does. This allows you too always escape, and end up at a 90 degree angle to your opponent. If he doesn’t follow you in the expected manor and you move, you’ll still just end up further away from each other. In this case neither of you would be harmed again.

If you determine that striking is necessary, by knowing where you’re opponent will move next. If you put your strike out on his line of travel, he will run into the strike adding his power, and momentum to your power  on the strike. You will also catch him in transition this way, compounding the damage done.