The One-Step and Two-Step Versions of MBC Technique
According to MBC’s typical teaching progression, we first learn our Master Technique with a two-step footwork sequence (stepping forward with the left foot and checking with the back of the left forearm, then stepping off to the left for the quadriceps cut and exit) and later with a single step (stepping straight to the “exit” direction and checking with the palm of the left hand). Why?
The answer to this question is both deceptively simple and extremely profound. A lot depends upon how far you actually get in MBC and whether you ever “see the forest through the trees” to understand all the things the Master Technique teaches.
First, let’s take a look at the simple interpretation and what it teaches you. When done properly, the step and forearm check allows you to stop at the conclusion of that movement before stepping off and finishing the technique. That stop makes the two-step version a literal step-by-step sequence. For people who are new to the martial arts and self-defense, that can be a helpful, if not necessary, thing. It allows them to focus on one thing at a time.
That stop also allows students to begin to understand the 30-degree vectors associated with most MBC technique. Think of the MBC logo—basically an equilateral triangle—and lay it out on the floor in front of you with your partner’s lead foot standing on the leading point of the triangle. The other two points of the triangle would be on the floor behind him—one to his left rear and one to his right rear. From your perspective, the center dividing line of the triangle would extend straight behind your partner and the two distant points would be at 30-degree angles to that line. These are your “vectors”—the directions along which you want to apply force.
When you step forward to check your partner’s arm with the back of your forearm, driving along the vector that extends toward the right rotates your partner around his spine, puts him off balance, and makes it difficult for him to turn to face you. You also have the ability to pause at that point and validate your structure to make sure it’s sound before proceeding with the rest of the technique. When you do proceed with your technique, you learn to step off to your left, release your check, and turn your shoulders to point along the other 30-degree vector. Very importantly, you also learn awareness of your own body parts and the need to get them out of the way of your knife. If you don’t step properly, your leg remains precariously close to your partner’s leg and you will probably “share in the experience” of the quad cut. Granted, your quad cut will suck because you’re facing the wrong direction, but with a sharp knife, you’ll still regret your failure to move.
Conversely, if you follow the plan, step as directed, release your check, and turn your shoulders, you will now be in a perfect position to cut the quad with extreme power—especially if you use proper skeletal structure and apply your cutting pressure at a downward angle to lock out your partner’s knee and stick his foot to the ground. You will also learn to complete your cut before you move and have the ability to “brush” past your opponents body, shoulder to shoulder, as you exit, staying safely in his “zero pressure” zone.
All that may sound very complicated and technical, but it’s really not that bad—unless you’re a beginner and have never done any of this stuff before. You may also be the victim of training in another martial art that moves completely differently, in which case you’ll also have trouble “getting it” at first. To keep it all from becoming too overwhelming, I purposely keep it a step-by-step process. This gives the student time and allows the key learning points of each step to sink in more readily because he has the ability to focus on the steps individually.
When the student is comfortable with the individual steps, I introduce the idea of checking with the palm instead of the back of the forearm and eliminating the two-step footwork of the left foot in favor of a single step directly toward the final vector. I usually do this when I teach how to take angle 1 defensive skills (fingers up; blade up) and translate them to angle 3 skills (fingers down; blade down). The check with the palm, done properly, extends your left arm along the right-side vector to create a strong skeletal structure. When your left foot steps toward the left-side vector, it powers your check through the structure of your left arm, but everything happens at once and your body is applying energy in two divergent directions. To me, that sounds a hell of a lot more complicated than the two-step version—especially if I didn’t already know the two-step version.
By the way, one other “secret” of why I teach the palm check and the one-step version of the Master Technique with angle 3 defenses is that the position of your partner’s elbow will typically be lower because he’s attacking on the low line. That makes the forearm check harder to do. The palm check “feels” easy during the angle 3 Defensive Responses because, positionally, it is easier than the forearm check.
Having the ability to stop and spot check the various steps of the Master Technique is initially a good thing and promotes a solid understanding of all the components of its structure. However, as your skills develop, you must learn to flow through the various steps uninterrupted and “round off the corners.” If you go too fast too soon and your technique isn’t working properly because it has a flaw, you will be hard pressed to figure out where and what the problem is. Step by step is still the best place to start.
In addition to providing a basis for methodical learning, the “two-step” version of the Master Technique also forms the foundation of a number of other critical skills that are presented later in your MBC/CBC education. These include:
Checking with the back of the forearm teaches the concept of powering the check with the step of your entire body—just like the lunge punch taught in many traditional martial arts, but more effective because the delivery tool has fewer “bendy parts.”
Checking with the back of the forearm teaches its utility as a defensive tool and the importance of protecting the flexor side of the wrist.
The forearm check teaches the core MBC body mechanics of turning the hips and shoulders to the right to power the fluid delivery of a backhand cut and a forehand check.
The core body mechanics of the forearm check are identical to those of a Meet for an angle 2—the “go-to” defense for this angle. As such, the Master Technique for an angle 1 also teaches you the mechanics of the preferred defense for an angle 2. Similarly, palm-check skills go a long way toward providing a foundation for learning the Meet for an angle 4.
If your attacker is not disarmed by the initial cut of your Master Technique, his most likely follow-up will be a backhand attack, like an angle 2. The forearm check of the Master Technique is the most effective defense against such an immediate follow-up attack, and thus introduces the concept of “back-ups” to Defensive Responses.
The forearm check is the first introduction a student receives to the “waiter’s block” structure of the Meet and the key components of the strength of that structure.
The introduction of the forearm check also forms the foundation of all live-hand passing, such as the passing movement within the Outside-Outside Drill and the Passing Drill of CBC.
For handgun shooters, the forearm block teaches many elements of the “Guarded Draw” position I prefer for contact-distance shooting and puts it into very realistic, effective context.
Stepping off with the left foot teaches the student how to create a proper left-lead power base and how to use body mechanics and structure to power the Comma Cut to the quadriceps.
Stepping off also teaches the concept of Damithurt Silat’s “zig-zag” footwork.
Stepping off helps you learn footwork—period.
Initially, the Master Technique wasn’t called by that name; it was simply a Pass or Crossada against and angle 1. However, as the teaching methodology of MBC evolved and I placed more and more emphasis on the concept of “the more you learn, the less you know,” I realized the foundational importance of those skills. Learned properly, they laid the groundwork for many of the other skills of the system. Based on that mindset, the concept of the Master Technique emerged.
If you are serious about training in MBC, you will quickly evolve beyond the rote, step-by-step execution of the Master Technique. However, don’t let your eagerness to progress undermine the importance of the technique and the many learning points it offers. Like everything else in MBC and its related systems, there is a definite method to the madness.
Train hard, stay safe,
Mike