Strike First - Getting your action off before your opponent. (This requires knowing the opponent's imminent hostile intentions.) Usually used when one is outnumbered or the opponent is better armed.
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Of course these categories define the concepts of defense but are not always used alone. Many times a combination of two or more categories are used in one motion of defense. It is very common to have a defense which both parries and evades. It is human nature to get out of the way of an incoming weapons and put up ones hand to parry or shield from it as well.
Some of these are learned movements which take time to make into good habits. Fortunately we are all naturally well versed in at least three of them. Parry, Shield and evade come naturally to us all. It is easier to use these natural defenses when first building your defensive responses.
Later, after practice, you will be comfortable using the others.
The categories are simple enough for children to understand and discuss and can be complex enough to provide discussions for even the most practiced martial artist. Within this structure students can easily see the method and reason for each movement. Once they have a basic understanding of each defense they can create their own motion to provide their initial defensive movement.
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One drill is to use a staff to train children in the use of these defensive motions. Stand a staff on end and ask the student to show a certain defensive motion in response to the falling staff. Let go and it
falls in their direction they are expected to defend themselves. Once they
have done an effective defense in each category they have a deep
understanding of what their options are in a defense situation.
When attacked we move to get our safety. We usually perform a movement
to gain our safety and follow that with counterattack measures. There
are reasons for our movements. In many martial arts courses the students
are taught a specific sequence of movements called techniques. Only after
learning many techniques do they think about the reasons for the movements.
Many who learn through technique never understand the reasons for their motion. In Suey Bing Fa we think the students need to understand motion from the beginning. Our choice of movement is unlimited. The first movements we use to get our safety we term defensive motion. For example we might show one attack, such as a right punch, and demonstrate six methods of defending against it using each defensive category.
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Legally it is important that your counter attack movement come right off of the defensive motion. If you successfully defend without an immediate counter attack the law may blame you for persuing your attacker after the initial attack fails. If you don't take advantage of this moment in time you run the risk of being seen as the initiator of the confrontation or you will need to defend again as the attacker has had nothing done to make them unable or unwilling to respond.
Another important reason that the counter attack come right from the initial defense is that the opponent is likely to continue an attack. We believe in defense through counter attack. Making your opponent hurt as a result of his attack is a good idea. When they are focused on the offense many times it opens targets for you to take advantage of. If we can make them think about themselves and the pain they are experiencing we keep them from thinking about attacking us. Counter attack can also be launched right from the initial defensive motion to better deal with a blind man as the opponents alertness may be confused during their strike. They are expecting to hit and when they miss and are hit themselves we want to use this slight mental confusion to inflict further damage. Again, our goal is to make them unable or unwilling to respond. Fights should be quick and decisive.
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