Lesson 27.

HOW TO PARRY A BLOW

Suppose you try to frustrate an attack by parrying Assailant's left forearm with your right hand.

You deflect the blow of his left arm, certainly, but you leave him in a position to use his right.

Make your parry at the elbow and you will turn his whole body round and get him off balance, leaving an opening for a right hook to the jaw or whatever method of attack you may choose.

Take the position of each of these illustrations and go through the motions of parrying numerous blows.

This exercise is not to give you quickness in parrying, but, having parried, it teaches you the correct angle at which to unbalance your Assailant.

Quickness is cultivated in the next lesson.  

Lesson 28.

THE SIDESTEP

Starting with the right foot behind him, Assailant lunges forward and makes a straight thrust at your abdomen.

Swing back the right foot, turning on the ball of the left, keeping your body perfectly erect and let the blow go past.

 

NOTES ON PRACTICE OF SIDESTEP

Practice the sidestep frequently, it is one of the best exercises for training you to quickness of eye and agility of movement.

I have never seen anyone but a jujitsu man make a movement exactly like this or the jujitsu kick, and it took years of observation and practice to discover just what they were doing, and how they did it.

With the illustrations and instructions given here, there is no reason why the reader should not master it right away.

Compare illustrations 144 and 145. The body swings round on the ball of the left foot, just like a door, the effort, the motive power, comes from the Stahara.

In Figure 145 the weight is evenly balanced between the legs, the knees are slightly bent, the body limber.

Have Assailant lunge at you with left hand also, swing back the left foot, turning on the ball of the right.   SIDESTEPPING THE KICK

Devote a good deal of time to this practice, both with right and left feet. See Figures 146 and 147.

My Assailant in Figure 146 is kicking with the jujitsu kick with the knee bent. This is such a swift kick that it is almost impossible to catch it. Do not let this fact worry you as you can learn to sidestep a great deal faster than the ordinary person can kick.

In practice, at first, Assailant should kick with the knee straight.   THE JUJITSU KICK

The jujitsu kick is given by raising the knee simultaneously with the toe flying out. The foot travels at a terrific speed, and the recovery is equally rapid, the foot being at once returned to the ground, or the kick repeated.

The great secret about the jujitsu kick both with regard to the speed and also the force of the blow is that the whole weight of the body goes into it. In practice "Put your Stahara" into it, and you will soon get it.

This kick is used only in emergencies of life or death.    

Lesson 29.

QUICKEST WAY TO THROW A MAN AFTER CATCHING HIS LEG

When Assailant kicks at you, you should have sensed his intention almost before his foot has left the ground.

Suppose he kicks with his left foot.

You swing back your left foot, turning on the ball of your right so that you sidestep his kick.

At the same time catch his leg with your right hand.

Do not stop his leg when you catch it, but swing it up in the direction in which he is kicking.

This will at once put him right off balance.

Swing it right up and shove it back a little and he will fall back hard enough to be knocked out.

When you practice this have a third party ready to catch the man who is thrown, otherwise your studies will probably be discontinued through sudden cessation of interest by the party of the second part.

You can practice it without throwing him.

The whole trick is done with one swift movement.