Bruce Lee Technique - Rear Elbow Strikes

Author: Keith Pascal
Date Posted: November 19, 2008

I was recently looking at some Bruce Lee notes on his martial-arts practice.

On this particular page, he was considering the rear elbow strike. Your opponent is behind you. Without turning around to face your opponent, you use your elbow to strike behind you.

Simple, right?

One single strike, wouldn't you agree?

Rear Elbow Strike Precision -- A La Bruce Lee

Well, Bruce Lee wanted to make sure that his rear elbow strike was precise, had a natural feeling, and could be modified to fit a particular situation.

Would you be surprised if I told you that Bruce Lee practiced the simple back elbow with more than 20 situational changes?

He considered the range of using the rear elbow for infighting versus an attacking or countering range.

When Bruce practiced his rear elbow strike as an attack, he practiced high strikes against a right lead stance, and he practiced low, rear-elbow strikes against the same lead.

He also put into his martial practice both high and low rear-elbow strikes against a left lead.

Then, after he considered his elbow attacks to the rear, he went through the same process with martial arts counterattacks -- both high and low, to a right and then a left lead.

From there, he used the rear elbow strike combined with other infighting tactics and techniques -- still with high and low, versus left and then right.

Can you imagine all of the permutations possible?

Rear Elbow Strike Counters

And think .... just when you thought this whole process was done, he switched ... now, he practiced defending against someone else's rear elbow strike. Again, in every situation,
Bruce Lee practiced dealing with both high and low rear elbow strikes.

Last, but not least, he tried to figure out 'training aids' for his rear elbow strike.

Now, add precision to all of the above.

This wasn't a one-time practice session. Bruce Lee mastered each aspect of his art. He practiced to perfection.

Whew! We were just talking about the rear elbow strike.

Can you imagine going through this process for every move, stance, and situation in your system or style?

Did you know all of the same can be practiced with a forward, infighting elbow strike? And there are some elbow strike counters to be considered, too.