In Injury Dynamics, we practice "coordination sets." Just what is it? The simple answer is that a coordination set = target practice. In a coordination set, we are stringing together a few strikes. The point of the coordination set is make your targeting exact. If you put a finger into someone's eye, everything turns in your favor. Miss by an inch and you hit forehead-and you get nothing. In firearms training, we have the adage that "slow is smooth and smooth is fast" and so it is with striking the human body. In executing the coordination set, we want to move slowly. How slowly? As slow as it takes to make every strike perfect, to include balance and feet.
This brings us to the 2nd part of the equation, the person being struck. In Injury Dynamics, this person is called the "reaction partner." The job of the reaction partner is to provide feedback to the attacker by giving realistic reactions to the strike. A reaction to an injury is called a "spinal reflex" and they are absolutely predictable. A strike to the groin will elicit a posture that bends the person over, covers his groin, and juts out his chin. He has no control over this reaction - anymore than you can control your reaction to touching a hot stove or controlling your knee when the doctor whacks during your annual physical. A fleck of dust (or a finger) gets into your eye and you cover it with your hands while moving away. A break in a bone/rib results in your reaching for the injury. We model these reactions to give the attacker a "site picture" for reference to decide what their next strike will be. If we are on the street and we don't see the expected spinal reflex, then we know we missed our intended target and we adjust accordingly.
When we practice coordination sets then, we go only as fast as the reaction parter can provide realistic reaction and only as fast as the attacker can maintain proper targeting and balance.
What a coordination set is not. A coordination set is not a road map for a "what if" scenario. It is what it is: a series of strikes. Target practice.
But a coordination set is a good starting point. After a while you will discover your favorite strikes and identify the ones you need to work on.
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