The Art of Feinting for Fighting

The feint is one of the best tactics that a martial artists can employ. It is used mainly when striking, but can be also used when throwing. The feint is a move used by the top fighters and is one the most difficult techniques to master. The art of feinting involves tricking your opponent into thinking you are going to attack in one way, but then very quickly changing the attack, either to a different target or with a different technique. The reason behind the feint could be to lower or raise your opponents guard in order to create a path for a different strike or to learn the way in which your opponent reacts. For instance weather he moves backwards when struck, or weather he blocks and counters simultaneously, maybe he prefers slipping or bob and weaving. The experienced fighter will learn his opponents preferred reaction with only a couple of feints. If the feint is used to create an opening for a second strike, then the second strike must follow immediately after the feint. There must be no pause. The best way to achieve is to try and make the feint resemble a real technique as much as possible. You must trick your opponent into thinking that the feint is an actual strike intended to hit, so as you can create a reaction from him/her. If your opponent is not convinced that the feint is not something that he/she has to defend against, then there will obviously be no reaction and the follow up strike may not be successful. I have found that one of the best ways to use the feint is when your opponent is in a defensive mode. For example, if you manage to rush your opponent with a barrage of combination strikes, he is then in a defensive manner. From here if you feint convincingly to the body, he/she will most probably lower his/her guard to defend against the body blow which would leave the head open for a hard strike that could finish the fight. Another good time to feint is at the beginning of the fight. It is an excellent way to find out your opponents preferred reaction method. As you are both weary of each other during the first few seconds of the fight, a good feint will show you exactly what kind of fighter he/she is. At the start of nearly every boxing match, you see initial jab feints by both fighters. This is what they are doing. It is called feeling out your opponent. You must practice the feint constantly for years in order to master it, but once mastered it could be the best strategic maneuver you can employ.

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