Nice post crazybuddha! There's not much to add on what you cover, so I won't try. I will however enlarge on the joys that are timming and footwork which have already been mentioned
With correct timing, a move which is actually very slow can seem very very quick indeed. This is partly due to small distance moved (at slow speed still equals short time interval), and partly that the attack is initiated (and completed) on a gap in awareness of the oponent.
Illustration. Individual #1 starts a long drawn out attack, individual#2 backs away letting the distance between 1 and 2 gradually close. On the finish of 1's attack, 2 sharply increases the distance allowing 1's attack to finish short. 1 will also have overstretched and be off balance. 2's counter begins and 1 is not in a position to defend - off balance and spent in an allout effort to reach 2, 1 is not thinking about defence should he fail. His weight is falling forward, and he cannot back up, he is hit.
Illustration. Individual #1 gets a bit more crafty. He starts a long drawn out attack, and allows 2 to back off. #1 falls short again seeming to fall into 2's trap again. However, the final action by 1 was only 3/4, and he is still holds some in reserve and is on balance. 2 begins the counter, and seeing that the distance is quite large between 1 and 2, starts a long counter. 1 takes half a step back to draw 2 on and keep him in long attack mode, then quickly changes direction and hits explosively into 2's preparation.
Illustration. Individual #2 gets crafty in his turn. #1 starts the big drawn out attack again, 2 backs off a short step, then threatens to counter with a short sharp strike as 1 had done before. This stops 1 in his tracks. However, the distance is still too big for 2 to really finish the action - it was just a feint. 1 resumes the attack and 2 backs off half a pace. Again 2 threatens a counter and 1 stops briefly. Thinking that he is safe, and having hesitated a fraction, 1 re-engages attack mode and sets off again. 2 knows the patern, and feints that he will back up again, but instead finishes the action sharply forward. This action is even faster as 1 is doing the majority of the work by moving his own target in towards 2 - two just has to concentrate on the timing - 1 does everything else. As 1 has been messed around, hesitates and then switches into attack mode, he is insufficiently flexible to make a strong defence of this sort of action.
Final illustration. Both 1 and 2 have wised up a bit now. Neither rushes into an attack, and both are playing with footwork and distance seeking to get an opportunity. 1 begins to set up 2 by leasurely throwing out a series of feints and watching for 2's reaction. 2 instinctively responds in the same way - he consistently uses his strength at defence in counter to the searching feints. A pattern has been set up and can be used. Depending on who uses their brain better, a number of options follow. a.) 1 sees the pattern and sees that it is instinctive. He does not push the matter by throwing so many feints that 2 catches on. He now does something else to brake the pattern and ensure that when he returns to the same feint it is likely that the instinctive response will follow. Knowing the response, he can allow for its angles and postion, and be starting his second action before the feint is fully finished. 2 responds instinctively, will see the second action start, but not be in a postion to adapt to it. As the hole in the defence opens up, it is immediately struck through in this way. b.) 2 catches onto what is happening. He sees the pattern and knows that 1 will likely change it before using it against 2. He kindly allows 1 to change the situation and responds with a different response as would be natural. 2 can now do one of two things. Either he can see the feint from 1 coming and be waiting with a different response into which 1 falls. The reply is now very quick and from very short range. Or he can see the feint and strike straight through it - it is not a serious action and can be ignored. By stricking now, 1's second actions does not have time to develop and is no threat. 1's mind is on his cleverly planned action and he is thinking of getting the timing right. He is not thinking about his own defence. He is hit
(these examples come directly from a fencing/ swordplay context. They still hold for unarmed combat) There are obvious general patterns in the above, and these hold for pretty much every opponent. The only people who it won't hold for are begginners - who respond in an unconditioned and thouroughly random and usual flailing way. You cannot predict their actions so you have to rely on a natural sense of timing to see the gap and hit through as it opens. This is why begginners can actually be more dangerous than someone who has been training for a limited amount of time.
All we are doing is using the opponents training/ natural response against them. This is also why (in the now well known through Bruce Lee, but been arond for ages in the internal arts for certain - and probably the eternal ones too though I wouldn't know) the highest technique is no technique. Or to be beyond technique. I'm sure you know what I mean ...
RT
