Walking someone down with Strikes vs. Sumo Thrusts

[DatCutman]

I'll start off by saying I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a striker. I love the prone position, lazily rolling around on the ground, pretending I'm fighting. It's pretty much the best.

However I found out that my state has a sumo tournament every year (who knew?) and have started a sumo club with some other grapplers interested in broadening our horizons. One thing that is utterly perplexing to me is the footwork of the tsuki-dashi, or sumo thrust. They practice moving your same foot forward as your thrusting arm. In other words, if I'm standing square to you and I decide to thrust, I thrust my right hand forward as I step with my right hand. Then I thrust with my left, step my left foot forward, on and on. This feels incredibly strange compared to stepping with your opposite foot (i.e., right hand thrust, left hand step). Imagine walking, but instead of moving your opposite shoulder to your hip forward, you move your same side shoulder. It's big in japanese martial arts, but hell if I know why.

I've done a little research, and I see that in MMA (especially old vitor belfort), they would run the man down by stepping with the opposite foot. However, I did manage to find that Jack Dempsey was a fan of the "triple jolt" attack to cross distances, which in essence is stepping with the same foot as you punch.

Do any of you strikers have any insight you could give? I don't have any sumo seniors (i am the most qualified person in our sumo club because i remember some of the japanese names to moves), so I figured strikers would have a better idea (even though the tsuki-dashi is more of a push than a strike). I guess part of the issue is that when you throw a cross, your back foot can act as a brace, whereas stepping forward with the brace feels off balancing. I also feel like I can't get any forward hip pop unless my same-side foot is braced, and that when i step same side, I have to swivel my hips. Then again, I may just be bodily retarded. Any guidance you guys can give me is very appreciated.

 

[shincheckin]

if you step and punch at the same time, for an orthodox, you have turned your rear cross into a lead jab.

 

[PivotPunch]

if you step and punch at the same time, for an orthodox, you have turned your rear cross into a lead jab.

This

It rarely makes sense. As a single strike it's next to useless because it robs you of the power. It may make sense in certain situations if you can switch hit and fight out of both stances but usually it's just not a good idea

 

[ARIZE]

You have different types of movement while punching, that can be described as "walking someone down"

-You advance, but you always keep your stance. Most combat sports advocate that style. The legs don't cross each other.. You just widen or close the "gap" between your feet.
-You advance while changing stance: Your right leg moves in front of the left, then the left moves
forward etc... Either a complete beginners technique, either an advanced technique (shifting for boxing), either a TMA technique (TKD, Karate?)

Depends on the art/sports, they have different names, uses and details in the technique.

Depending on which kind of step you are talking about, you have different possibilities of punching.
For the first type, you have same foot, same hand movement, or opposite foot, opposite hand movement.

BUT, depending on which foot you choose to start the movement first, your balance will be different. The distance between your steps will be wider, closer or normal on the opposite hand:

-Front foot step, front hand strike, then rear foot step with rear hand strike. The jab stance is wide, the rear straight stance is normal.
-Rear foot step, rear hand strike, then front foot step with front hand strike. The rear strike stance is narrow, the jab stance is normal.
-Front foot step, rear hand strike, then rear foot step with front hand strike. The rear strike stance is wide, the jab stance is normal.

Last version (Personally never saw it been taught, and feels very "wrong" to start like that)
-Rear foot step, front hand strike, then front foot step with rear hand strike. The jab stance is narrow, the rear strike is normal.

Off corse you usually adjust your balance by making bigger or smaller steps while you advance.

Now, for the "walking" type of pressure. You have:

-Same foot, same hand.
-Opposite foot, opposite hand.

The problem with the walking type, you may found yourself in a very bad balance/position, meaning that any strike will make you go down.

In here you may found some examples:

http://fightland.vice.com/blog/the-art-of-shifting-in-mixed-martial-arts

But that's just how I imagine those things are... I don't really use any of them... My art is about meeting the opponent in the center of the ring, kick each other for 3 out of 5 rounds, and the guy with the loudest fans, wins...

 

[spacetime]

I don't know if I got this one right. Do you mean a version of running/superman punches?

Very common in MMA and effective.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

Do you have vid of said "sumo thrust" And how it will be used in your context?

 

[j123]

Do you have vid of said "sumo thrust" And how it will be used in your context?

 

[Fire of Youth]

They used to teach us this type of strike in bujinkan ninjitsu. Maybe it is a Japanese martial art thing?? I never liked it though.

 

[biscuitsbrah]

I would assume it’s because pushing someone is different than striking them...

 

[AndyMaBobs]

I would assume it’s because pushing someone is different than striking them...

Nah, the technique he's talking about is basically a strike - they do it with a lot of force often on the face

 

[biscuitsbrah]

Nah, the technique he's talking about is basically a strike - they do it with a lot of force often on the face

But a strike doesn’t really push you back. I assume you have to step with the same leg to simultaneously push them back and step forward to take up space?

 

[listrahtes]

Nah, the technique he's talking about is basically a strike - they do it with a lot of force often on the face

But the Idea is more of a push than strike and its not meant to damage like a strike but give you maximum safety ( body position) against wrestling/ Judo attacks and force yourself into a position to attack with throws, locks..etc.

Its not out of a striking ryu but jiu jitsu ryu and in this context it imo can make sense. I never liked it as it felt to static.

At least thats how I learned it.