Grapplezilla

This is great, I have been watching a lot of Karate Combat, some really amazing matches.

Great info, thanks for the viewpoint, especially that we are going through similar journeys just at the opposite end of the spectrum!

Thanks buddy, looking forward. This truly is a good forum, very open minded and a great mix of traditional and modern martial arts talk, loving it.

Ok now it is clear to me, thanks for the explanation!

Hi Guys, Prior to even starting to show techniques I would teach people how to properly fall, this is pivotal as many martial artists are not conformable being thrown and it is due to their inability to fall correctly. 1. I would start by teaching how to hand fight BUT with pressure What di I mean about pressure, it means that the opponent is moving forward, backwards, changing levels, resisting, and trying to counter for a good grip. I would start slow with just explaining each grip and then moving on how to move the body and the right weight distribution for each grip, and then gradually add more elements of pressure so the student would be comfortable attaining a proper grip/hand position in order to successfully attack for a takedown. 2. I would then teach a few takedowns that are high %. Slide by to single, knee tap, single to pry, double etc....I would also teach each takedown according to the opponent's hip level and more importantly the hip angle position compared to yours when going for the throw (an example would be taking a single and knowing when to go for a pry and when to switch to a double and when to run the pipe etc....) 3. I would then start showing them the fundamentals of BJJ, the 5 main positions, and work on how to maintain the position and defend the position to re-position. After this I would show very basic but high % submissions, not too many but good ones such as the Americana, Guillotine, RNC and perhaps Kimura. Later on I would show leg locks such as the heel hook, toe hold and straight leg lock. 4. I would then focus on wrestling par terre and ESPECIALLY focusing on 2 things - a.) how to scramble for position - VERY important b.) how to get back to your feet - which the scramble will be a large part of. 5. If there was a gi focus, I would start with properly understanding how to attain and defend a grip and hand fighting from Judo (Kumi Kata in Judo). 6, From there I would focus on takedown and throws that could work for opponents holding different level stances (not just upright like we see in modern Judo). Generally focusing on basics - Osoto-Gari, Ochi-Gari, O-Goshi, Seoi-Nage and Uchi Mata. This is where I would start personally.

Tang Soo Do/Korean Karate or Kyokushin. These are the two styles that I have seen use grappling. I incorporate sambo moves to my Tang Soo Do/Korean Karate. That being said, its important to note that... Karate grappling is ALSO very dependent on individual sensei or dojo. Not all Tang Soo Do/Korean Karate or Kyokushin karate dojos are going to incorporate grappling. So you have to talk to the sensei to learn about their curriculum. Kyokushin is the most consistent curriculum but Korean Karate is more freestyle since sometimes it can look like Shotokan or Taekwondo Some taekwondo dojangs grappling comes through hapkido and some Kyokushin sensei's use judo as their grappling style. IMPORTANT: Regardless which style of karate you choose, make sure you learn to...Sweep The Leg! Assaaaahh!!!! Thanks for the info, much appreciated!

I also sweat profusely when training and over the years have tried many different supplements and this is what I found works for me. 1. I try to supplement secondary to eating a healthy diet. For years I supplemented daily with many different vitamins while eating a poor diet. I found that eating healthy and timing my supplements around the foods I eat, worked best for me. 2. I use Whey isolate shakes and creatine, generally with a dash of cinnamon on them and a small dash of low sodium salt. Why low sodium salt you are asking, it is because it contains potassium chloride as well as smaller amounts of sodium. so after a workout I get a slight bit of these 2 electrolytes and of course the whey and creatine. I usually will drink this with a small piece of fruit (which I eat the fruit prior to the shake) as the fruit will raise my glucose levels and help the body's cells take in more nutrients. 3. I take vitamin C, I stick with 500mg tablets as to spread the vitamin C over the day as it is water soluble. I always take this in the morning, after a workout and sometimes in the evening UNLESS I eat a meal that has foods hitgh in vitamin C as then will skip the pill (an example would be a meal that has blueberries or oranges, sometimes a large salad etc). I do this as I always prefer to get my vitamin C from natural sources. 4. Resveratrol, I have been taking this for years, perhaps it is hype and perhaps not. They say it is good for the heart and anti-aging. 5. Vitamin D, I take especially during the winter months. I take 400IU twice a day, usually in the morning and night.In the summer I usually do not supplement vitamin D as I am out and about and getting plenty of sunshine. Vitamin D is fat soluble so if you are overweight and have a lot of fat stores, you may need to take more from what I read. 6. Glucosamine, Choindtroin and MSM, I have been wrestling since a child and doing a lot of grappling and my joints, well they are creaky and destroyed. I take this for my joints, it seems to help BUT it takes a few months of regular daily ingestion to work properly (or at least I am told). I would think also for serious strikers, this should work charms. 7. I take Zinc and Magnesium at night, 30 mins prior to going to sleep. Magnesium is an electrolyte and you lose it when you sweat a lot (like guys like us) as well as it is great for sore muscles. Zinc is great for the immune system (although make sure not to take too much as can have really bad side effect, stay to the recommended daily dose). Magnesium by the way you can get in a lot of foods, I usually eat low carb so this is why I take it, if I am not eating low carb I then don't take the magnesium. Another factor of taking Zinc and Magnesium is they say it can help increase testosterone in older men. I think that prior to taking any supplement, really check with your doctor as they know your bloodwork and can tell you what deficiencies you have as well as warn you what to take and not to take. Hope this helps and smash the day!

Thank you! Looking forward!

Thank you very much, Looking forward as well!

Thank you and looking forward as well!

Ah! That helps quite a bit! Way back in the day, Shotokan was an early art that I studied and eventually was awarded a Yondan rank (4th degree). If you are looking for self-perfection and kata, then I would certainly go with Shotokan. Kyokoshin-Kai is very much "brute force" as the main aim of most of their dojo are heavy sparring. That is not to say that they do not have kata. Nor does it mean that you cannot achieve a level of self-perfection. Just that the overall vehicle with Kyokoshin is go to revolve around sparring (kumite). Depending on how you define "traditional", you might look to Okinawan based styles (Goju-ryu, Shorin-ryu, etc.). Okinawan martial arts were "changed" when they made the migration to mainland Japan. The more traditional Okinawan arts are more concerned with the combative aspects of the art (self-protection) and, assuming you are in the right school, will have techniques that are going to be more directly applicable to self-protection. The kata are certainly there as well. Most of them will be a bit different than what you will find in something like Shotokan. Good luck and let us know what you decide! Thank you for the info, very cool and interesting!

Thank you very much sensei8, much appreciated.

Hi guys, Some really good advice here, I am going to look at a few places and check out some clubs in the next months (after I finish my renos on my house). One last question, I keep on seeing a lot of Karate styles end with the word Ryu and some end with Kai, sometimes with the same name at the beginning, an example would be Wado-Ryu and Wado-Kai. Are these in essence the same style buy with a different emphasis due to the naming?

I have been looking at Karate as I have done decades of grappling as well as boxing. What draws me to Karate is more the forms and self defense aspect. I think on top it is the traditional nature of the art, more about self perfection over self preservation. I believe ideally, I am looking for something different to add on top of what I do as well as something that is not just about brute force and contact. In my area there are mainly Shotokan and Kyokoshinkai from what I see.

Hi, I am a grappler and have been practicing grappling arts since a youth. I am finding the older I get, the more appealing Karate is. When I was a young child, I remember practicing Karate and loving it, I practiced Wado-Kai Karate if you know it. Now I am older, joints starting to hurt, I still practice BJJ but I am thinking of adding some Karate training. Any recommendations on what style to look at?