Combat Science for the "Thinking Man"

In my continued training as a TUF student I have often heard both Heru and senior students talk about "orchestrating the fight". Well this at first sounded great to me as I was/am a thinking man. However, the reality of attempting to think during combat spells defeat in the most frustrating or deadly manner.

Like many new TUF students, I have/continue to wrestle with the application of "orchestrating". Like playing any good game of strategy (chess, pocker etc.), it requires time to learn and become good at. Every new student that walks through the halls of the Marion Ave. "man church" can relate to what I'm talking about.

Recall the first time you executed "a" technique you were taught while facing an opponent in a scenerio class; and were so surprise, you didn't know what to do next (looking at your work as Heru often says).

Sometimes it's difficult to see that your thinking too much, eventhough everyone in the class can see it. It wasn't until I began training with the new level one guys that I really starting seeing what others were/are seeing in me. A light bulb came on; showing me that to be a good "orchestrator" means constant practice inside the class, outside the class and inside the mind even further. Running scenerios through the mind when your not having perceived threats of any kind. Taking the time to attempt to see things before they happen and apply the appropriate response.

This is one of the reasons TUF is great for the "thinking man". You learn to see the outcome before it even happens. How the hell else can Heru always be 5, 10, 20 or more moves ahead of us. He's done it so many times before that it's "second nature" for him; this is what he's working with us for.

But, don't get too comfortable when you're able to see and apply those 20 moves ahead, cause it's gonna be taken away from you and you'll have to discover 20-30 new moves you didn't even know you had.

TUF, for the "Thinking Man"