Initiatives of attack and counter attack: Introduction.

This is a rough post, exists to help organize my thoughts. Forgive the spelling and grammar errors, I will try to lessen them in the future. For now I want momentum going for my blog.

In Japanese martial arts there are three phases of attack and counter attack: Sen en no sen, Sen no sen, and Go no sen.

These three concepts exist beyond karate and Japanese martial arts, all striking and weapon systems use these strategies, perhaps call them different things.

On the surface the concepts are very simple. Sen Sen no sen means to attack them before they attack you. Sen no Sen means to counter at the same time as your opponent attacks. Go no sen means to attack afterwards. Generally combat philosophy breaks down these three timings as just that, no more, no less.

I don’t know if I understand more about this than great Japanese Kendo masters and karateka. I don’t. But I do plan to examine the three initiatives in depth and situationally, particularly range. I will even do some small analysis of these timings in grappling, though that could be a topic all on it’s own.

I hope you readers will enjoy it, or at least learn something. And if you don’t learn something, I hope I got you thinking.