5 Reasons You Keep Falling for Feints

Do you keep falling for your opponent's feints? Would you consider yourself hyperreactive or anxious when you spar? Here are 5 ways to overcome that flinch response and stay in the fight.

1. Hyperreactivity (0:31)
2. Stop Flinching! (1:50)
3. Overreaching (3:40)
4. Trust Your Defense // Hierarchy of Defense (4:51)
5. Don't Play Their Game (7:30)




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[SHIFTCombatSystems]

Thanks for the shout out Coach! I'm glad you are getting value from my systems 🙏👊

[studywithteja]

The best coaches in the world
1)cusdamato .
2) precision striking .
3) fight tips (shane)

I love these 3 guys . I learned a lot from you 3 guys .

[robscott]

Great topic and Fight Tips as always. One other thing I would like to mention is perception. And how proper peripheral vision and awareness and also being deeply rooted in the present moment can also really make a difference! A couple of articles I would like to share...
Deadpan Eyes


If you have ever faced an opponent who seemed to look past you, eyes fixed, unfocused and slightly narrowed, the experience can be unnerving. Now it turns out that this “look” has a tactical advantage too.

I have always taught my students that when facing an opponent you should never focus (fix your gaze, attention or thoughts) on any specific attack once it is launched. This leaves you more vulnerable to a secondary attack because you then have to shift attention and focus (or worse, your thoughts) to what comes next, and this takes time. Instead I have taught students to focus on the entire opponent, and if an attack comes to keep a general focus (dealing with the attack in peripheral vision and reacting spontaneously) so that you are alert to what might come next (Zen state of mind). This way you are able to pick up secondary attacks sooner, sometimes even before their initiation, since your focus (awareness) is general and always alert.

Recent research has added a new twist. It has been found that when you keep your eyes still, not blinking or moving (as suggested above), the perception of time itself slows. Thus, when you keep your gaze steady and unfocused (on an opponent and any potential attack), not only are you able to pick up secondary movement more quickly, but also these movements will seem to come slower (less condensed in time).

A recent study by Concetta Morrone, John Ross and David Burr reported in Nature Neuroscience found that subjective time is compressed around the onset of the normal rapid, jerky eye movements people perform thousands of times daily. These movements are performed automatically to align subjects of interest (something focused upon) with the center of the eye which can perceive in higher definition (high acuity fovea such as are used in reading or other detailed perceptual activities).

In this study participants compared the time between two sets of two horizontal bars flashed before their eyes, the first set just before and the second set just after a saccade (jerky eye movement). Study participants reported that the time interval between the flashed sets of the two horizontal bars seemed to be equal, when in fact the second flash time was one half of the former. Thus the subjective time was doubled near the saccade onset (the actual gap was 100ms versus 50ms).

This has important potential implications for martial artists. If you allow your eyes to dart around in their natural fast jerky movements trying to focus on an attack (such as the arm or fist of an attacking limb) only to refocus again on a secondary attack, the second attack will seem to come faster. But, if instead you control your eyes to keep an unmoving, non-blinking "unfocused overview" of an opponent, your perception of time and any attack will slow.

This research finding reminded me of the famous essays of the Japanese Zen monk, Takuan Soho, to a master swordsman written three and one half centuries ago. Takuan’s discourses, while not discussing physical aspects of keeping the eyes fixed and unfocused, do discuss a parallel mental state. Relating Zen to the psychology of conflict, Takuan stresses the importance of keeping the mind stabilized (fixed without thought) during conflict. Takuan cautions the swordsman that if your mind becomes occupied with an opponent’s attack (such as a downward sword strike) and if the defender thinks of meeting that attack, his mind will "stop". This will undo the defender and he will be cut down since the mind was stopped (was filled, something which stops the natural flow of spontaneous reaction).

(It is in Zen meditation (practice of the mental aspects) that both the fixed, unfocused gaze and the clear mind are practiced. In sitting, most often the student fixes his or her gaze in front, unfocused while keeping (at least trying to keep) the mind clear of thoughts, ideas or images through intent focus on total awareness and perception. This research study may explain yet another reason why Zen meditation can help in self-defense situations.)
Time Distortion and Perceptual

What exactly is time distortion, and how does it relate to perceptual speed? First of all Time Distortion is not really distorting time as the term suggests, but is the ability to "fully" experience time without perceptual gaps.

Perceptual gaps occur when your attention is divided between actually fully experiencing the moment, and your thoughts, mental images, internal dialogue-etc. Your awareness bounces back and fourth between your thoughts and the actual moment, creating (perceptual gaps) and making things seem much faster and "unclearer" than they really are!

For example, say your opponent is about to throw a punch at you, you know his fist starts out at point A. and whips out in a blur to point B. (your face?). You may tell yourself "man this guy is fast", or something like that? Or think to yourself "the hand is truly quicker than the eye".

But what actually happened is that your awareness was divided between your thoughts (of trying to follow the continuity of his movement and so fourth) and the actual movement and moment itself! You Saw point A. and maybe A.3 A.6 A.8 and point B of his punch, but A.1 A.2 A.4 A.5 A.7 and A.9 appeared as a blur to you (if at all) because of perceptual gaps in your awareness!

Another example is: Let's suppose you are sparring. Your opponent feints a high jab, lead punch or shoulder fake, you 'think' in your mind, "he's coming with a high jab!" (anticipation/thinking in the future), then as you begin to react or adjust your defenses, he pops you with a low hook kick! Then you think to yourself, oh he didn't come with a jab (as you anticipated) he came low instead! And while you are thinking and realizing this, he is probably hitting you upstairs again! If you would have been in the moment, and totally (externally focused!), not listening or giving much attention to your "internal dialogue, " or as Joe Lewis once said, (paying too much attention to the TV upstairs!) But instead completely (experiencing) your surroundings, opponent and the "present moment, " you would not have gone for that initial fake or feint while trying to (anticipate) your opponents actions! It is far more effective to be fully in the moment, and (sense or feel) what your opponent IS doing, rather than just anticipating or making an educated guess as to what he will, or is about to do! Respond like an echo, moving as he moves, stopping pretty much as he stops... Truly being "In Sync" with the present moment and your opponent!

So how can you develop and use time distortion? Do you have to become a Zen Master? While that wouldn't hurt, it's not necessary! Here are some exercises you can practice and master with relative ease that will enable you to use time distortion at will! No matter how "fast" your opponent is, his movements can seem to crawl, and you will be able to time everything perfectly! He will find no gaps where you "awareness" is not present! What used to seem like blinding speed to you will now seem slow to you! Continual/Flowing Awareness is the foundation!

And you will also not tend to "anticipate" so much and go for feints and fakes and make mistakes as easily, if at all. And you will also become very aware of all the "gaps" or emptiness in your (opponents awareness) and thus defenses!



1. Practice placing your attention on a rapidly moving object without attempting or "trying" to see it or follow the continuity of it's movement. You should feel almost as if you were looking in the opposite direction! You need not "care" if you perceive the object or not. Learn to see things in this way, in this state of "relaxed awareness".


And for the JKD/Martial Arts side of this skill! Read page #124 of Tao of Gung Fu book by Bruce Lee!
"No mindedness is to employ the "whole mind" as we use the eyes when we "rest" them upon various objects but make (no) special (effort) to take anything in."

[rxge.edxts.]

I think Ricardo's Confidence Level got boosted up

[ssh]

Great video buddy. Your presentation is always spot on. Perfect amount of detail and to the point. I learn something new from you on every video. Thank you.

[shaggadally]

I have one more tip: I suggest not looking at the hands of your opponent, instead, look at his whole body / his whole movement. And don't look for targets, try to capitalize on movement-errors your opponent makes.

[akaragdollsvids]

Thanks for always sharing ur KNOWLEDGE ☺️

[MoneyManMitch]

Keep up the good work bro. Been watching you since you made that video about the most important thing you can bring to a fight for an advantage: mouthguard.

[sixkicksfightertricks]

There's a 6th reason. Lack of experience. I know all of this but I start accidentally making these mistakes when I start getting overwhelmed. Every match helps me make less mistakes. Experience is just as important as knowledge, and I sorely lack both. Awesome video.

[generaljokes]

Wow, , I didn't know🙆🏼‍♂️

Thanks buddy, , , I'll be more careful when I'm in bad situation next time💪🏼💗

[NobleVagabond]

Hierarchy of defense. Love that terminology. All around great video as always

[H.S.M.ShinzoVirtuoSoul]

Hey Shane do you think you can study some film on Naoya Inoue and breakdown a few of his combos and techniques. I've been studying him a lot recently and like the way he fights, an I'd love to watch a video breaking down his techniques a bit more in depth

[wiffywiffy]

Love watching these videos to make my manga fights more realistic 👍

[mmanalili]

Good stuff!!🔥🔥🔥 Thank you for this! 🙏🏻

[viktorstanicic]

Hey Shane great video i have been watching jour videous four about two years i learnd the basics of fighting from watching jour videos defence, proper punching tehnick and most importantli that side kicks do work its bicas of jou i found mi pasion witch is martil arts i have joind a kickboxing gym an shoud have mi first fight next year so thanks for the great videos and keep up the good work

[SENSEIJASON]

SMASH THE LIKE BUTTON FOR THE YOUTUBE ALGORITHM!

[schwiftyshadow]

Just found this channel good instruction great knowledge keep it up

[codybaker]

Intercepting strikes are like HEMA Master Cuts. A one tempo defense where you simultaneously defend yourself and threaten your opponent by stepping off line and cutting, or crossing the line of attack aggressively with your weapon.

[pacheco]

Hey Shane, was hoping you can make a video on how to keep boxing/training more fun and always keeping it interesting so we don’t get bored on doing the same workouts. (Since we can’t go to the gym anymore)

[leonardspencer]

Dear Shane! Thanks a lot for your brilliant uploads throughout the years. I have a big question, how to escape corners and ropes if you’re defensive fighter and your opponent is skilled in cornering and cutting angles and presses you down.