More Superman Punching (diary entry)

27.10.20

My teacher consultation lesson was originally intended to tackle ways to set up the Superman Punch. Although this topic was touched upon, along with feedback on the Bizarro punch, we also took several detours into discussing several self-protection topics for teachers and students such as how violent crimes can dramatically adjust an individual’s morality and the problems with martial arts discussions in general.

Superman Punch is generally set up with kicks. This isn’t to say the technique cannot be set up by other techniques and, indeed, other kicks, but the strategy is to create a false pattern is that you are trying to score body kicks. The rear teep is a very simple way to set up the Superman Punch. This is a slower technique than many other basics, but it can tell a convincing story to your opponent. Due to the risk of telegraphing this technique you might wish to disguise that with a fake as well. The rear teep might be faked with a rear round kick and quickly switched to score the teep and then followed up with a fake to score the Superman Punch. The Superman Punch works well off this set-up because the teep creates a lot of distance and prompts and opponent to shift forward to regain the lost ground. The raised knee will cause them to anticipate another rear teep. This also works well for the Muay Thai Cobra Punch.

I like the 45 degree round kick (aka no-pivot round kick) to set up the Superman Punch because, by comparison, it is very quick but it is also simple. Once the opponent knows these are being used they are likely to have a fast flinch response to defend their body. These kicks can be set up with punches, prompting speedy flinch responses to the head first before attention being diverted to the body. Superman punches techniques are slower than all the main weapons being thrown and require a lot of camouflage in the form of simple, fast techniques. Funnily enough, sudden changes in tempo can throw opponent’s off-guard. We saw this with the way the Bizarro Punch relies on a sudden pause.

Taking a rather different approach from all the above is feint a low kick. Set up the Superman Punch with a jab/cross/low rear leg round kick (outside leg kick). Come in again with jab/cross and lift the rear leg as if to low kick again but switch to a Superman Punch.

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