They had been engaged for approximately 90 seconds. The next exchange happened so quickly that even experienced martial artists watching had difficulty processing the details. Ko fainted a high cut, then dropped into a surage, a sliding deflection attack aimed at Bruce’s extended arm, intending to cut the tendons and disable his ability to defend. Bruce recognized the faint, didn’t commit to defending the high attack. And when the real cut came at his arm, he executed a bill sao, a thrusting finger strike that intercepted Ko’s hands rather than the blade itself, striking the pressure points on the back of her hands with enough force to momentarily disrupt her grip strength.
The katana wavered in her hands for just a fraction of a second, but that was enough. Bruce’s other hand wrapped around her right wrist, his body rotated using his hips as a fulcrum. And suddenly Ko found herself being pulled forward and down by her own committed force. She had two choices. Release the sword or fall forward onto her face. Her samurai pride wouldn’t allow her to release her family blade voluntarily, so she fell. And Bruce guided that fall precisely, controlling her descent so she landed safely but firmly on the dojo floor face down with Bruce behind her maintaining control of her right wrist and the sword hand.
