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The 9 Angles of Attack

The basic 9 angles of martial arts can be applied to footwork, striking, and off-balancing. 


Footwork: Angle 1 and 2 close the gap and are 45 degrees off your target moving forward. Angles 3 and 4 are considered neutral angles and are 90 degrees off your target, moving side to side. Angles 5 and 6 expand the gap between you and your opponent and are moving backward at a 45 degree angle. Angle 7 moves straight back, Angle 8 moves straight forward and Angle 9 is a switching of the feet to create an angle. 


Striking: Angle 1 and 2 come down at a 45 degree angle to your target. Angle 3 and 4 come straight across cutting the target in half. Angle 5 and 6 come in at an upward 45 degree angle. Angle 7 is straight up, Angle 8 straight down and Angle 9 is straight in. 


Off-balance: Before you can throw your opponent you must off-balance them at the angle you are throwing them. How to off-balance is a separate discussion but the angles of off-balance are the same as you use in footwork. However Angle 8 brings your opponents balance straight in to you and is probably the most used angle of off-balance for throwing.  Angle 7 forces the opponents balance backwards and Angle 9 forces the opponents balance straight down, straight up or incorporates a form of off-balance called “canting.”

 



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