Alive hand positioning

[Goddels]

Positioning the left hand is an evolving question. Mostly it depends on how far you are from your opponent and what you are trying to do to him/her. Do you want to clinch? What if you have no choice? Then what?

Specifically, the Pekiti Tirsia positioning is over the plexus/sternum area. The hand would be "pinky" out. There are specific reasons for this that are related to the techniques used in Pekiti Tirsia. Mostly it is because the hand is readily "usable". Most of the basic Pekiti drills have a strong left hand component that would only be left out at the trainee's peril.

The palm right against the chest position is what I see as a largo-specific position. At that range it would not come into play very often and basically has to keep out of the way.

At a closer range the use of the left hand is much more evident, therefore the proper use is an important consideration. Espada y Daga training illustrates quite a few of the many possibilities available to a well trained left hand. This transfers quite well.

Stick grappling has also brought focus onto the "left side" of the equation. Hard to hold anyone with just one hand.

[selfcritical]

I try to keep my left hand somewhere on a line between my right shoulder and my left hip. As I understand it, this is pretty standard for Pekiti Tirsia.

We tell the new guys to imagine that they are wearing a sash that runs from the right shoulder to the left hip. The left hand should be somewhere along that sash. This keeps the hand in decent position for secondary striking, "counter offense", or trapping.

This goes for single stick and stick and knife. Double knife is a little more involved, since the "off hand" is constantly changing.

I generally follow this line, with some embellishments

1) The elbow is always tight. It is always either flush to my body or behind my body. NEVER floating.

2) it follows the sash in a "complimentary" motion to the swing of my hips. If you have decent running mechanics, this should be immediately intuitive

3) You should be actively engaging all your secondary draw positions during drilling using the same sash

[Diesel_tke]

Ive tried to use my live hand for strikes. Years of kickboxing means that it instictually goes to protect my chin. But distance makes me have to step forward with my back foot in order to strike. It is so weird and slow that I've abandoned that and only strike with it on the inside. Otherwise I keep it close to my side and moving to try and destract from my strikes so I don't telegraph too bad.

Cool thread! I will experiment with some of these others.