Straightblast: Fact or Fiction?

A pro MMA fighter told me he doesn't take the 'straightblast' too seriously and regards it as one step removed from karate (Straightblast = chainpunching while running forward at opponent). He regards boxing as the only valid way to strike in a streetfight.

Does this sound right? Would experienced strikers here ever use the straightblast in a streetfight?

Worked pretty well for Vitor against Wanderlei

lol - I knew someone would bring that up!

I also said the same thing to the pro and he asked when it has been used successfully since then. As far as I remember that's about the only time. I rarely, if ever, see any other MMA fighters using it.

Before we can discuss the straightblast, we must go over its history.

The Straightblast was a term coined by the late Bruce Lee for the chain-punching that he modified from his mother art of Wing Chun.

Jik Chun Choy, the original straight blast was thrown as chain punches,one over the other, in a thumb-up position. The footwork was a type of shuffling footwork where the lead foot always remained constant (i.e., if your chain-punched starting with the left foot, your left foot stayed forward, as your shuffled forward with your chain punching).

The Straightblast was modified by Lee because he found that the wing chun footwork did not give him enough momentum and leverage to apply PRESSURE with his punches.

So the JKD/Jik Chun Choy threw out the shuffling footwork from wing chun, and replaced it with an all-out SPRINT. In this situation, there is NO lead foot. Each foot switches leads are you sprint towards your opponent with your chain-punching.

The Straightblast is treated, nowadays, as less of a technique, but more of a CONCEPT. The Straightblast, in order to be effective, must achieve 3 key goals:

1) Apply constant forward pressure. It's not enough to hit him a thousand times if you're just standing there. It's not enough to move him back with just one punch. You must apply constant strikes with a sprinting pressure in order to...

2) Make the opponent go backward. This is crucial to the success of the technique, because, to paraphrase the words of Paul Vunak, there is no system in the world of martial arts that trains its practitioners to launch an attack while being forced to move backwards. Boxer, wrestler, karateka, judoka, all become "wounded cranes" when they are forced to move backwards for strikes.

3) The Straightblast must bring you close enough to apply the thai plum, in order to facilitate HKE (headbutts, knees, elbows). The Straightblast becomes a useless technique if, after making the opponent go backward, you simply let him go to regroup. If you allow him to do so, you give the boxer/wrestler/karateka another opportunity to launch an attack that is based on their style of training (a style that you may not be familiar with). The straightblast is NOT designed as a finisher (although some athletes like Belfort have used it as such).

To think of the Straightblast as a CONCEPT rather than a technique, gives its practitioner the FREEDOM to apply constant forward pressure with ANY tool.

Aside from Vitor Belfort, Manny Pacquiao brutally applied this concept of constant forward pressure in his first fight with Barrera.

It doesn't matter if it's chain-punching, or jab/cross/jab/cross/, or hook/cross/hook/cross, or stick/knife/stick/knife, or knife/sig/knife/sig, or landrover/landrover/landrover, for as long as you accomplish the above three goals of the straightblast (however, in the case of the landrover, I don't foresee the need for the HKE), the straightblast CONCEPT is a success.

Thanks Professor Ranges. I can see that you approve of it, but that's not surprising given your JKD background.

I'm hoping to hear from some guys who are strictly boxers (or at least non-JKD guys).

Alex:

You're welcome. I vouch for it not necessarily because of my background, but because it has worked for me and several colleagues in the past.

Hopefully, you can learn/experience the technique first-hand, so that you can come to your own conclusions. It's all part of learning.

It worked for Vitor because Silva backed up straight. Most good fighters know better than to go straight back when pressured. However, if you stun a guy you can follow up and finish the fight easily with a straight blast.

"This is crucial to the success of the technique, because, to paraphrase the words of Paul Vunak, there is no system in the world of martial arts that trains its practitioners to launch an attack while being forced to move backwards"

Boxing teaches how to counter while moving backwards.

"Boxing teaches how to counter while moving backwards."

This is true, but not while getting hit in the head at about 3 punches per second. I think in this instance, boxers are taught to cover up.

I know what you're saying, because I keep seeing that footage of Ali ko'ing someone while floating back, but his opponent wasn't hitting him at all. When he tried it against Frazier (ali/frazier I), he got beat up badly.

"This is true, but not while getting hit in the head at about 3 punches per second. I think in this instance, boxers are taught to cover up."

Counter with a hook and circle out.

Countering with the hook is a very good idea, and very effective if your opponent just launches with a straightblast.

The straightblast, as a pure entry technique without a setup, is easily countered.

This is why it is taught with a setup. For street applications, a swift groin kick, a quick eye jab, these are important tools that can setup the straightblast. Very hard to counter hook when you're grabbing your nuts, or rubbing your eye. :)

By the time you've "recovered" enough to counter, your opponent has you in plum, and goes into HKE. That's VERY hard to recover from (unless you're Fedor).

"For street applications, a swift groin kick, a quick eye jab, these are important tools that can setup the straightblast."

Couldn't you do a eye-jab groin kick eye-jab straight blast? I imagine that would hurt.

"This is why it is taught with a setup. For street applications, a swift groin kick, a quick eye jab, these are important tools that can setup the straightblast. Very hard to counter hook when you're grabbing your nuts, or rubbing your eye."

Agreed

"Couldn't you do a eye-jab groin kick eye-jab straight blast? I imagine that would hurt."

Yes, theoretically, although I'd imagine after the first "eye-jab/groin kick" he'd be a crumpled mess, so switching to a clinch or takedown might be better. But yes, you have the concept down pat.

"He does come forward in a straight line."

Yes. Especially in his fight with Barrera. I picked up a few variations from him in this fight.

"Agreed"

Yep. If I remember correctly, my instructor said that JKD guys learned the hard way by straightblasting wrestlers without a setup (they got taken down). This is just one of the few reasons why the setup/interception was developed to facilitate the success of the sb.

According to this new book on the straight blast the whole idea of how to apply it now pretty much came from Jack Dempsey.

Now whether that is true or not is up to debate.

I do know that Lee used alot of Jack Dempsey's words (some verbatim) from Dempsey's book "Championship Fighting" to describe the straight blast in Lee's own writings.

That tells me that Lee used Dempsey to help him understand and apply the straightblast.

which book? I'd love to check that out!

Dempsey's book "Championship Fighting"

Great stuff - but still hoping to hear from pure boxers.

LOL

Thanks mg.

Not a pure boxer...but I think alot of martial artistS dismiss the straight blast because they are counter fighters. They prefer a strike to come at them and counter via hookS or clinch etc...it's hard as hell to teach sum1 who has been training defensively for years to go on the offensive.