Counter fighting is one of the Level III advanced concepts of Motion Science™. When sparring you can be either a lead fighter or a counter fighter. Of course, these roles can change instantaneously or even merge. This section reviews counter fighting.
When you are a counter fighter, you want your opponent to attack you. By seeming vulnerable in a certain target area, you can cause your opponent to attack that area. This weakens his position since you know where he is going to strike. A skilled counter fighter has the ability to cause an opponent to use a specific weapon, at a specific time, against a specific target. Remember, when you are attacked, you must make your opponent miss.
The components of counter fighting studied in Motion Science™ are as follows.
| Redirect Attack--Slip or Parry |
| Interrupt Attack--Stop Hit |
| Absorb Attack--Target Fade |
Redirecting an attacker's energy is one tactic to use as a counter fighter. We can either redirect his energy off the line of attack with a parry, or we can move ourselves off the line with a slip. Most of the time a combination of these two is used when counter fighting. Example of a Redirect Attack: we lure the opponent to strike at our head with a forehand strike, then slip the strike and counter to the body. The Redirect Attack strategy moves off the line of an attack.
Interrupting an attacker's energy is another tactic to use as a counter fighter. Interrupting the attack puts a greater amount of energy in direct opposition to the attack using a stop hit. Example of Interrupt Attack: the attacker uses a lunging punch from his rear hand. As he crosses sides and enters our distance, we execute a defensive back kick, stopping his forward movement. The Interrupt Attack strategy moves into the line of an attack.
Absorbing an attacker's energy is the third tactic to use as a counter fighter. The energy of an opponent's attack can be absorbed with a target fade using a non-lethal part of the body as a shield. Example of Absorb Attack: an attacker kicks to the body. Fade away for the attack just far enough so the kick touches your shielding arm; then counter with a spinning back hand strike. The Absorb Attack strategy moves away along the line of an attack.