How to Counter a Right Left Right Punch Combination with a Leg Attack Series in Ninjutsu

Ninjutsu is colloquially referred to as the art of the Ninja. It was an art expounded during the Japanese feudal era. The term encompasses many years of training in the fields of: stealth, subterfuge, psychological warfare, chemistry, and many forms of combat. It was in essence a training program to create a ninja; the modern day equivalent would be guerilla soldier or insurgent. The majority of these techniques involved acting and observing without being caught or seen. In the rare instances where violence was required for an operative to complete his task, the target would typically never see his/her end coming. Unarmed combat was only ever used for immediate self defense should the operative come under attack suddenly. Its entire purpose was to safely neutralize the attacker long enough to allow the operative to escape. Today Ninjutsu self defense can be just as effective. Here is a guide detailing how to defend against an attacker throwing a right, left, right punch combination by striking at the legs and forcing the attacker to the ground.

Step 1:
Begin in a natural standing position with your opponent facing you. As you are not the aggressor it is likely that your opponent will be the one taking a combat stance. It would be a costly waste of time to attempt to mimic this. As your opponent throws a punch aimed at you with his/her right fist, sidestep to the right, using the back of your left hand to guide the fist out to your left and away from your body.

Step 2:
Immediately widen your stance to lower your upper body for greater strength for the coming attack. Ball your right fist and drive it in an underhanded punch directly against the inside of your attacker’s upper right leg. This serves multiple purposes. It will force your attacker backward for a moment and warn them you’re not afraid to fight back. It will cause physical pain as that part of the leg is sensitive. Most importantly, it will temporarily numb the muscle. This will reduce your opponent’s mobility and weaken his/her sense of balance.

Step 3:
Allow your attacker to strike again with his/her left fist. Instead of dodging it, form your left arm into a horizontal bar and force the punch upward by raising your arm sharply. Latch your hand around your attacker’s wrist before he/she is able to withdraw it. This will force your attacker to punch again with the only arm she/he has control over.

Step 4:
Deflect the second punch by forming a horizontal bar with your other arm and raising it sharply upward. Again make sure to grab your opponent’s other wrist before the arm can be retracted.

Step 5:
Pull your opponent toward you, turning sidelong so your right shoulder and right leg and nearest to your opponent’s midline. Raise your knee up and out to the side and drive it sideways into your opponent’s leg in the same spot that you first attacked. Immediately compound this by slipping your leg between your opponent’s legs and wrapping it around his/her left leg. The back of your knee and his/her knee should touch. Pull back with you leg, forcing your opponent’s leg up into the air. Pull your opponent onto his/her wounded leg and he/she will stumble, falling backward to his/her rump or back.