The Crossover / Cover Out
By Rich Hale
Described in Mr. Parker's Encyclopedia of Kenpo, a “Cover Out” aka “Crossover/Cover-Out” is described as: A single crossover and step through reverse to increase the distance between you and your opponent, thus enabling you to conclude your maneuver in a safe position of cover.
Although this simple foot maneuver is used in virtually every self defense technique in our system, very few practitioners actually understand it, or do it correctly. Harsh words yes, but after you've read this article, watch a few people crossover and cover out and see if you don't agree. By the way, I'm not picking on anyone in particular, but all you have to do is search YouTube.com with “technique line” and you'll come up with several examples of poorly executed crossover/cover-outs and very few people doing it correctly. I suggest you do your own search and you'll see what I mean.
So, first of all, why do we crossover and cover out after a technique? The three most important functions are to increase distance between ourselves and our opponent, surveying 360 degrees of our surroundings in the process, and to place our self in a favorable position in relation to our opponent. But what I see happening in schools, tournaments, exhibitions, and in many videos, is mostly one thing and one thing only – creating distance between them and their opponent . . . but very little of even that.
Creating Distance:
Creating distance is the easiest part of a crossover/cover-out. It would seem that regardless of how poorly executed, simply crossing over, stepping out and then stepping through, would put a fair amount of distance between you and your opponent. But even so, I often see this most basic element of Kenpo executed poorly or not at all.
What's happening is this; Most people don't look where they going when they execute a crossover/cover-out. That being understood, it's also understandable why they cover so little distance, as they're reluctant to sprint backward (any measurable distance) without looking where they're going. Therefore they take a small front crossover step away from their opponent, and then quickly step off to the side (to an area within their peripheral vision) and then continue forward in a small arc around their opponent.
Done properly, you'll have executed a complete front crossover, stepped out into a neutral bow and continued to execute a full and complete step through reverse, placing you (depending on your height) a good four to six feet from your opponent. This takes us to another function of a crossover/cover-out.
Surveying 360 Degrees:
Done properly, you should scan 360 degrees around you as you execute a crossover/cover-out. For this example, let's say you're in a right neutral bow facing 12 o'clock.
As you step to 7:30 with your right leg, into a transitional right front crossover stance, quickly look to your left taking in a full 180 degrees to your left side. As you continue to step out with your left foot, again to 7:30, look back toward your opponent at 12 o'clock. You should now be in a right neutral bow facing your opponent at 1:30. Next, slide your right foot into a transitional right front cat stance as you quickly look 180 degrees to your right. Continue moving your right foot to the rear, settling into a left neutral bow as you again turn to face your opponent at 1:30.
A Favorable Position:
Having created a safe distance between our self and our opponent, and having surveyed 360 degrees of our surroundings in the process, our next step is to end up in a favorable position in relation to our opponent. This is accomplished by angling away from our opponent during the crossover/cover-out. This way, when our opponent comes to his senses and looks up, we're no longer standing directly in front of him. The advantage of this is that in order for your opponent to deliver a new attack, he will (more than likely) have to reposition himself towards you before attacking. It's during this time that you have the advantage as you’re already in position and would counter attack as he's repositioning.
I know this may sound like a small point, but check it out for yourself next time you're practicing techniques with a partner. Perform any technique with your partner and then move directly away from him after the technique – not at an angle, but ending up directly in front of him. Now, tell your partner (who has recovered from your technique) to attack you again, from his current position. Note how he can immediately move toward you with a new attack. Now, do the same technique with your partner, but this time, when you’re done with the technique, take up a position at an angle 45 degrees to your opponent. Again, tell your partner to initiate a new attack and notice how he will first turn toward you, then attack. Yes, your opponent could attack directly, without first adjusting his position, something we should also learn from this lesson, but in reality (most) people don't adjust and move simultaneously. People generally face the new direction first, then move in that direction.
What's Gone Wrong?
The problem is this; we're all in too much of a hurry and a simple crossover/cover-out just doesn't seem like something we need to invest that much time in. But, if we really want to understand and perform Kenpo at a level above the norm, we really do need to take the time to study and practice little things, like a crossover/cover-out.
So, let's take another look at the crossover/cover-out and consider this; should the crossover/cover-out be done quickly in the first place? After all, if I'm actually running away from my opponent, that must mean I haven't done him in yet, so maybe I should've stuck around and hit him a few more times, before leaving. If I'm not in a panic to run away from my opponent, then what's the hurry? All I can accomplish by executing a blinding fast crossover/cover-out is risk putting myself right back into trouble again.
Creating a safe distance in relation to my (current) opponent is only one function of the crossover/cover-out. Another function, as previously discussed, is to scan 360 degrees around us as we do it. And why are we scanning 360 degrees around us? One reason is to make sure we aren't running into trouble from additional opponents – but crossing over and covering out too quickly won't prevent this from happening, but actually cause it to happen. Doing extremely fast crossover/cover-outs may very well put us into the hands of additional opponents that we didn't even know were there . . . until it was too late. Not only does crossing over and covering out too quickly put us at risk of running into the arms of additional opponents, it may also have us running into traffic, bouncing off walls, and crashing into bystanders. It can have us stumbling over fire hydrants, falling off curbs, and dropping into pot holes. It can even have us tripping over our own feet.
But what about that 45 degree angle I've been mentioning. Go back to the Internet and watch your selection of technique line videos again. How many people are crossing over and covering out to a 45 degree angle and how many are going straight back? I can save you some time – almost everyone is going straight back.
The problem is this, it takes longer and is more difficult to do a crossover/cover-out correctly than it does to do a crossover/cover-out incorrectly. Watch the videos again and look to see how many people crossover, step out and then pivot into a neutral bow “before” they step through. Compare this to the number of people who simply crossover, step out and step through. If you don't pivot into a neutral bow “before” you step through, you'll fail to create the necessary angle change and end up traveling straight back from your opponent instead of angling away from him.
Admittedly, it can sound a bit confusing when you first start thinking about where your feet are actually supposed to take you while learning foot maneuvers, so this may help. Think of yourself in a right neutral bow.
If you do a front crossover, moving forward, you move in a straight line.
If you do a rear crossover, moving in reverse, you move in a straight line.
So, front/forward (f/f) and rear/reverse (r/r) both move you in a straight line.
If you do a front crossover, moving in reverse, you move on an angle.
If you do a rear crossover moving forward, you move on an angle.
So, front/reverse (f/r) and rear/forward (r/f) both move you on an angle.
In Conclusion:
A good way to study the crossover/cover-out is to go back to the book. Mr. Parker specifies the direction of each cover out and often specifies the direction you should end up facing. This is not always the case and sometimes the book can be confusing and a little difficult to picture. To clarify these, difficult to understand, techniques would take more time and space than is available in this article, but don't run across a few difficult foot maneuvers and use it as a reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Look for consistencies in what Mr. Parker has written and in time you'll see the wisdom in his words.
Remember, the simple crossover/cover-out is actually our exit strategy and should therefore be executed with care and precision, not with reckless abandon.
