The guys at A.T.A.C.X. Gym put together this quick instructional on defending against a basic hockey punch. For those unfamiliar it’s a common tactic in a street defense situation where an opponent will grab your tee-shirt, jacket, etc and start to punch with the other hand.
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics and music, and is sometimes referred to as a game. It was developed in Brazil mainly by West African descendants with native Brazilian influences, probably beginning in the 16th century. It is known for quick and complex moves, using mainly power, speed, and leverage for a wide variety of kicks, spins, and highly mobile techniques.
Fighting in Hockey
It takes skill, agility, and a bit of luck to get the opponent down and out before you’re bloody and disgraced while serving a five minute fighting minor in the penalty box.
How to Hockey-fight in 5 steps:
1. Drop your gloves and stick to initiate the fight or if you are still wearing a full face helmet keep your gloves on.
2. Keep your left skate up and ready to block an initial punch and your right arm cocked to retaliate or give first stab. (Do the opposite for left handed players.)
3. Keep eye contact with your opponent.
4. Circle the opposing player to determine what his or her first move will be.
5. If the opponent is in a compromising position, pull their jersey over their head and start in with right handed uppercuts; this will allow for maximum power on your punches and limit the visibility of the opponent.
Fighting is condoned in hockey in a way no other sport is. In the NBA, joining a fight on the basketball court is punishable by an automatic one-game suspension. Major League Baseball umpires liberally eject players involved in brawls. NFL players can be fined just for approaching an on-field scuffle.
In the NHL, fighting is fair game as long as players stick to the rules: no gloves, no kicking, no more than two combatants at a time, and no yanking the other guy’s jersey over his head. Five minutes in the penalty box and a player is back on the ice.
