The way I see it, "How can you disrupt a strike in motion when it is moving at over a hundred miles per hour?" The fact is you cannot, or wouldn't want to do so.
     In my system, non-telegraphic striking can itself be a form of blocking. The concept is to preempt an attack with another attack. Or put another way, "block" an adversary's attack with an attack of your own. The reality of weapons’ combat is that it is over very quickly. The one who strikes first, or more effectively, usually wins. And so it really comes down to reaction and muscle memory. This concept is not new. As a matter of fact, it could be stated that it is the singular attribute of Grandmaster Antonio “Tatang” Ilustrisimo that has made him the renowned fighter that he is. This was shared with me by Grandmaster Rey Galang of the Bakbakan fraternity. He refers to it as the “Eye of Tatang Ilustrisimo.”
     Careful observation of sparring footage of the grand old warrior shows him reacting to an attack not by blocking, but by somehow getting in-between the rhythm of combat and literally beating the opponent to the punch.
     This type of reaction requires intensive training, control, and nerves of steel. The normal response is to stop or block an attack and then deliver a corresponding response or counterattack, assuming that the opponent is delivering only single layer attacks. It takes a heart of stone to not flinch but instead to practically ignore and bypass the attack and instead, use the openings and flaws inadvertently created by the opponent during the execution and delivery of an attack or a strike.
     My training emphasizes controlling long-range encounters with broken, flowing or combination strikes, thrown from all angles, in small numbers. Whether advancing or retreating, forward pressure is always on. After all, one doesn’t have to move much to make an attack or strike of your opponent’s miss. Likewise, precision strikes are accomplished within a matter of inches and split second timing.
     How do you handle a long-range attack already set in motion? Does one simply step back and get out of the way, or bring a stronger attack to the adversary? Either way, the longer it takes an attack to reach its target, the greater the likelihood that it will be countered or neutralized. The most effective strikes (or blocks), therefore, are short compact ones.
     How does one train for these conditions? First, you need to focus on developing non-telegraphic striking. Never pull, wind or chamber the striking hand back. Limit the movements you make when recovering from one strike to the next.
     Second, emphasize mobility in your footwork. Refrain from assuming a fencing stance, which limits you to forward and backward movements only. Body shifting by itself, although providing an efficient method of avoiding attacks, nevertheless leaves you still within striking range for subsequent secondary attacks. With footwork, one not only avoids the attack but actually improves one’s position and creates advantage.
     Finally, mentally eliminate the distinction between blocking and striking; they really are one and the same. This holds true especially in edged weapon applications. A parry with a knife is potentially a cut or counterattack.
     It has been proven in many times in combat that the way one practices is the way one will instinctively fight. Always keep one’s training realistic and simple. Gross motor skill, executed with a minimum of movement and a maximum of force, will always be superior to the more artful, but less rational, movement’s common to and emphasized in some Filipino martial art systems.
     With regards to blade training, it all starts with the proper mindset. It is not a joke to face and defend against an edged weapon. Engagements such as this are most likely going to be a life and death struggle. Weather it be a sword against sword or knife against knife or unarmed defense against an edged weapon, the danger of severe injury is inherent and can be fatal. Have you trained properly for this life-defining moment?
The reality of edged or impact weapons combat is that it is really a vicious and tiring affair. If one fighter is not killed instantly, mutilation or severe beating is the likely result. As the Chinese proverb goes, “When two tigers fight, one is killed; the other, injured.”
     At the training center in Northridge, we try to raise non-telegraphic striking, in combinations of four (or less), to an art form. Born out of tribal combat, emphasis in on accuracy and economy of movement. Precise and timely footwork allows for maximum mobility. Training progressions build on highly effective responses to predictable body reactions.
     The real contribution of long-range influences is on its strictly combat orientation. Although some of the Filipino martial arts include beautiful, wide strikes, the fact is that a skilled opponent will move to "defang the snake” i.e.., attack the weapon hand. The longer it takes an attack to reach its target, the greater the likelihood that it will be countered or neutralized. The most effective strikes are, therefore, short, sweet and precise.
     There is combat and there is art. Especially in knife fighting, make sure you are preparing for the correct one. The real world of edged weapon encounters is violent, brutal and unforgiving. It is not a give and take playground where rules and decorum are observed and enforced. Test your knowledge and skills regularly. Push it to its limits and beyond. Learn to learn from experience, defeat and victory. Savor the pain and epiphany of reality. Only then will you truly master the art of the blade.