Not as advanced as a stop hit but more effective than blocking and counter attacking in sequence.
This is also practiced by some Chinese martial arts.
Simultaneous parrying & punching utilizes the principle of economy of motion by combining attack and defense into two movements thus minimizing the "time" element and maximizing the "energy" element.
Efficiency is gained by utilizing a parry rather than a block.
By definition a "block" stops an attack whereas a parry merely re-directs an attack. Redirection has two advantages :
It requires less energy to execute; it utilizes the opponents energy against them by creating an imbalance.
Efficiency is also gained in that the opponent has less time to react to the nullification of their attack while having to worry about defending an incoming attack.
Low kicks
JKD practitioners believe they should target their kicks to their opponent's shins, knees, thighs, and mid section.
These targets are the closest to the foot, provide more stability and are more difficult to defend against.
However, as with all other JKD principles nothing is "written in stone".
If a target of opportunity presents itself, even a target above the waist, one could take advantage of the situation without feeling hampered by this principle.
Maintaining low kicks utilizes the principle of economy of motion by reducing the distance a kick must travel thus minimizing the "time" element.
Low kicks are also more difficult to detect and thus guard against.
The four ranges of combat :
- Kicking
- Punching
- Trapping
- Grappling
Lee stated that most but not all traditional martial systems specialize in training at one or two ranges.
Bruce Lee's theories have been especially influential and substantiated in the field of Mixed Martial Arts, as the MMA Phases of Combat are essentially the same concept as the JKD combat ranges.
As a historical note, the ranges in JKD have evolved over time. Initially the ranges were categorized as short or close, medium, and long range.
These terms proved ambiguous and eventually evolved into their more descriptive forms although there may still be others who prefer the three categories.
