Question: I’m a member of a Bujinkan Dojo, but sadly for many reasons I haven’t been able to attend in some time; still I’m in constant contact with fights here and there and I have come to realize that no one uses the lunge punch against me. It’s hard for me to use what the Bujinkan taught me… Still I use it and it’s quite effective, but this is not a question about the punch itself but about defending against regular punches (boxing style?)… Any thoughts?

Answer: Bruce Lee is quoted as saying, “Before I learned martial arts, a punch was just a punch and a kick was just a kick. When I studied martial arts, a punch was no longer just a punch and a kick was no longer just a kick. Now I understand martial arts, and a punch is just a punch and a kick is just a kick.”

So, a punch is a punch, a kick is a kick. Whether you practice against a lunge punch, cross punch, etc. doesn’t really matter. In the Bujinkan we prefer to focus on learning how to control distance, timing and balance. If we control the distance, then an opponent’s strike can never reach us. If we control the timing, then the opponent is always a moment too late. If we control the balance (maintaining our own, while unbalancing our opponent), then the opponent is unable to launch another attack.

Most important, is to try and understand why these outbursts (fights) seem to be occurring. Learning to control the distance, timing and balance of a situation BEFORE it becomes a fight is very important. Please, consider returning to your training soon.

Thank you very much for your question.