Targeting

In sparring, tournaments and fighting it can be stated that the primary tactic is to "go for the head." It true, I feel this is an inefficient strategy. I post on this more to persuade martial artist's to adjust their overall strategy so that the tactics used will not eliminate targeting the head but rather cause due consideration of other means to the ultimate end - end the fight, avoid damage and in limited specified instances survive the encounter.

From my meager beginnings Sensei used such directness for a purpose. Once achieved he began to refocus our effort to a more tactical one. We targeted the weapons and defenses.

In the military your given an objective, "to take the hill." You don't just jump straight into the main weapons and defenses with the aim of hitting the head, you have to strategically place your assets to the weak points in their defenses while targeting their more deadly weaponry which includes their perceived strategies and tactics.

You find their weak points and hit there to break through to their core or center-mass.

In our dojo, the arms and legs, the hands and forearms and the ankles and shins are the weapons and defenses of your opponent, the threat, the really bad person. Sensei taught us to draw out the threat committing them to an attack, locking in their intent and action so we could destroy that weapon  and cause a ripple to open up the center targets.

If done correctly, by the time you hit their vulnerabilities, center-mass and vital area's, there are no weapons or defenses to consider. In truly violent encounters things are different - know the difference and train the difference.