After mastering the basic forms of a few kobo routines, you are ready to work with some advanced alternatives. The variations below build off of the basic kobo drills, but offer choices to one or both partners in how to respond to the other. Essentially, we are gradually removing the training wheels that separate kobo from jissen.
Hot & Spicy Kobo Variations
Use use the following options to turn up the heat.
Stationary with Attack Variable
To get started, we’ll drop the footwork and give the attacker an option for a change. In the basic drills, the attacker’s prerogative was limited to speed and timing. Having worked on defending against various attack movements, we can give the attacking partner the option of more than one option.
Here’s what happens: the attacker can choose freely from a set of previously-drilled attacks.
For example, you have practiced some basic kobo drills for manjigeri, senjogeri, and sentaizuki. Since you should be able to comfortably defend against each of them, your partner can choose any of the three. Your job as defender is to determine which attack is coming and respond appropriately.
It’s best to begin with just two possibilities and at a relatively slow speed. Both partners agree on which two attacks are to be considered fair-game, then the offense side chooses. The defender still has access to any options discovered via the basic drills, as well as improvised solutions to newly arising situations. After building comfort with two options, we can add a third or fourth. Add multipliers such as speed and number of attack options gradually.
Attack Variable with Preset Unsoku
As above, chose an unsoku pattern. At the completion of the unsoku movement, the attacker can choose which option to deploy. Experiment with various unsoku patterns and add multipliers gradually.
Attack Variable with Free Unsoku
This drill pattern works as above, except the unsoku is not predetermined. With both partners freely moving, the attacker can choose his moment to attack with whatever options are decided upon. Begin with two options, then add more as speed and comfort increase.
Attack Variable with Unsoku or Unshin
By now, this should be self explanitory.
Get Creative
You can come up with your own variations for these patterns. The idea with these drills is to bridge the gap between basic kobo practice and jissen. That difference lay in the number and type of rules in play. The drills on this and the Basic Drills pages show one heuristic for adding and removing rules to isolate and train various aspects of jissen within the more-controlled environment that kobo affords.
It may be a good idea to ask yourself what attacks you have a hard time defending. These drills can fix some of the holes in your game.
Be creative and come up with your own ideas. Just take it slow and build gradually.
