Broken Rhythm
There are two basic ways to look at broken rhythm. First, you have the way of keeping track on the 'hit-beat', that is on a count of 1-2-3-4, if you notice that the hits come on the 2nd & 4th beats or the hits come on the 1st & 3rd beats or the 1st & 4th beats or any combination that you can come up with. It would go something like this, 1- beat, 2-hit, 3-beat, 4-hit. A beat can be anything from no movement to a fake or faint. Now if you found that you fall into this rhythm, you could break it up by trying first, 1-beat, 2-beat, 3-hit, 4-hit, or secondly, 1-hit, 2-beat, 3-beat, 4-hit. It truly doesn't matter what combination of beats and hits that you throw out, it's the timing of them that makes the concept work, whenever you find that you are falling into a rhythm like this break it up to confuse an opponent. Also, after you understand how this 'self rhythm counting' works to your advantage, you will be able to use this 'hit-beat' count on your opponent by both knowing your rhythm and by now being able to count your opponent 'hit-beats'.
The second way of looking at broken rhythm is by keeping track of the space between beats and hits. This way can be a little tougher to come to terms with. This is where half-beats come into play. In this way you are not so concerned with the hits or the beats, its when you or your opponent uses those hits or beats that mean anything to you.
This is not easy to explain in writing but I'll do the best I can. Still using the count of 1-2-3-4, try to keep track on the space or the amount of time in between each hit or beat. using a dot to represent a 1 second count and a dash to represent a 2 second count. Try to mix up the timing by using different counts, say on your first attack you use dash-dash-dot-dot or dot-dash-dash-dot then you will mix up your counts on the next attack that you throw.
Now comes those half beats, you use the half-beat on your opponent after you can keep count of his timing. On his 1-2-3-4, if you notice that he has a slight pause in between the 2nd and 3rd beats that is when you would hit. That would be hitting on his half-beat.
You should not try to establish a rhythm until you can recognize any rhythms you have already established by training. It's only after you can recognize your established rhythms that you should concern yourself with either braking those rhythms or trying to establish new ones. Make sure that when you try to read any rhythms that you may have (we all have some type of rhythms) already you include and actions that you make as a beat. This includes any fakes, faints, bobbing & weaving, traps, kicks and hand strikes. Some people just try to count punches and that is where they make their mistake.
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Designed by Ovidiu Semenea
