tallgeese

Congrats, bro! Fantastic chance to train more and pass on your blend of Bujin and the MMA you've been drilling so hard. Can't wait to see the results. Keep us posted on how things go.

7/10 neck pull ups bench curl squats abs Prep for fishing trip w/ family. My next couple of days of work outs should included what minimal hiking I can be talked into between the baiting of hooks and the mandatory 16 oz. curls that go with it.

I think it's one of those things that is a perfect legitimate tactic. Like anything else, you're comfort level due to reps will dictate how well one can utilize it under stress. I also thing that the support side lead is also perfectly acceptable. Again, it goes to training and repetition. There are so few solid, absolute answers when we start discussing tactics that it is often foolish to label right and wrong. I do think there are a few absolutes, but I don't think this is one of them.

7/8 2.5 mile run neck shoulder press dead lift bent over rows abs

I favor the double and single from the pummel. It allows me to have control, at least in part, over the bad guy before committing to a takedown effort. The standing single has been particularly useful to me a couple of times. This keeps me from fully dropping to a knee for the dump. It still uses a level change, but less committed. I like a blast double as well, again, because it keeps me up more. Again, I've used it with good results at least once. I've had better luck with body locks and double and single variants against fully combative subjects than I did with more traditional arm bars and such that I utilized before. It's why I've made the transition to using them almost exclusively. As you said, we're all working on things, making them tighter and evolving our game. I've had the fortunate luck to be in a profession where I can pressure test some of the tactics we're talking about. It's really fast forwarded how I look at integrating things. I'll try to find some video or just shoot some and post here in a few days time about some to the things you've asked about.

Jay, that's an excellent point. What kind of JJ. I automatically assumed BJJ.

Jay, no problem. First up, let me clarify that I agree wholeheartedly in the concept of striking past a situation and getting away. I think it's a good plan, and we even utilize it in law enforcement to disengage to call for backup, access a weapon, or the like given a situation. My thoughts on ground skill integration comes for the fact there are times this just doesn't happen. But I do agree staying up is a good idea in conflict. There is a quick bonus to training in grappling we should touch on here, and that's the more training one does in grappling arts of any kind, generally the better on gets at staying on ones feet. This leads us to our first controlling positions we deal with when we talk about grappling integration. That's mainly the use of pummeling and underhooks to smother an opponents offense. If the fight crashes together, and people get tight with one another (your choice, his, or the environment) the positions created by a working knowledge of this will be invaluable. BY utilizing pummeling to achieve standing body locks, side or back body locks, ect. you can throw a blanket on his ability to generate power in his striking. The advantage to this is obvious. It can lead to putting him down, or simply disrupting his ability to immediately follow you on your escape. So even from standing it's this position training that far exceeds any highlight reel flying submissions. Once we move to the ground, most people think that integrating BJJ or any other grappling skill means wrestling with the bad guy for submission or such. Again, in my experience, the ability to control is probably more important than anything. If you end up on bottom, the ability to move from here to the top is paramount. This is all position work, not submission. A good, solid mount, side mount, back mount and transitions to each and strategies for obtaining each really give you an advantage. Bu crushing a subject you start to wind him, you start to get in his head, and if you do pop up and run you start from a much better position. Additionally, if you're controlling him, you can more easily read his intents. The more you train to control and relax, the longer you'll be able to fight, this stacks the deck in your favor while he's spazzing and gassing while trying to throw you off. Again, this isn't the fancy stuff you'll see on you tube, but it's the core of BJJ and pretty good stuff of self defense. As to work from the bottom, you'll need a guard, a recovery to guard, a handful of sweeps and movements to back. This gives you the ability to again control him. Movements from bad positions to guard are a life saving survival skill. From there, I can pull a bad guy in to keep him from strike with power or push away to prevent him crushing me. Side to side control keeps him off balance and allows you to start working to top. The skills above won't land you in the Worlds, but they will integrate well into a self defense scheme that will round out your ability to survive conflict in the street. If you think about putting them in context, a fight occurs, the bad guy is all over you and you end up on the ground. He's in a sloppy side mount by virtue of falling on you because you tripped on a curb. You hit a shrimping motion and recover guard and then sweep to mount. You gas him a bit while he freaks out, check your surrounds because you're comfortable here and make sure no one is getting ready to hit you with a tire iron from behind and then slide out to a knee in position. You crush him a bit more, maybe pop him a couple of times if he's froggy, then when his arms are clear (you'll know when is good because you're comfort level is high and you understand posture) you sprint off and clear about 25 yards before he gets up. Now, he has to decide to pursue or not. He's gassed because he doesn't know how to relax on the ground like you and mentally out of the fight because he's just been dominated. You've mentally won the fight as well. That's kind of what I mean when I talk about utilizing ground skills in the matter your talking about for self defense. Hopefully, it transmits the idea of controlling with posture. The best way to get good at that is training in a specialized ground art (per the other thread). Hope that elaborates the way you'd wanted. Let me know if I need to clarify or expand anything. Bushidoman and Kuma both work LE as well and have some good insight into stuff like this as well. Thanks.

7/7 20 min work from pummel to takedown Drilled counters to single/ double 20 min live vs. these 20 min work half guard v. pass 20 min free roll

Here's the rub with that. Everyone always assumes that ground skill integration means submission wrestling with the bad guy. In actuality, the controlling postures and ability to simply gain these postures is the critical component in self defense grappling. For those skills, BJJ would serve you really well. Of course I'm biased, but it's a bias based on what I've seen work repeatedly in real world situations. I know the idea of intentionally taking someone to the ground brought up, again, it's the controlling once on the ground that's paramount. Besides, Judo will lead you to exactly the same thing. If you want takedowns for self defense, look at wrestling. Learn a solid double and single, then work them out of clinch work which is a common situation in sd situations. Work with a good wrestler and figure out a standing single, blast double, and a couple of other things that will capitalize on level change without dropping a knee to the floor. This will give you takedowns without turning your back for throws or picking up a foot for sweeping. Thus, you get to keep your base solid throughout the encounter. OF course, Judo is great and if your interested in it study it regardless, just evaluate you needs and make decisions from there. I just think that if you're really interested in ground fighting an art such as BJJ (or even western wrestling) that truly specializes in it would be more beneficial.

7/6 20 min free work from pummel to various takedown set ups 20 min of free roll back mount v. escape 20 min of free roll 1/2 guard v. pass 20 min free roll

The thing with Judo vs. BJJ for this sort of thing, is that your complimenting one stand up art with another. Granted, the focus is different, grappling vs. striking, but they are both working in essentially the same pool. You already have toys to play in that pool. If you move to BJJ, a very ground specific art, you'll open your options further than you would otherwise. Granted, judo does have some ground work; however, you'll find that it does not have the specialization once down that BJJ does. There is some complexity to BJJ; however, any new skill seems complex at the outset. What you'll find is that a bulk of the art, the core, is not so much that way. It's about position, and t hat's what you'll use in real conflict more than anything else. The ability to gain, and hold, position is key in real work conflict. This work is not the complex stuff you'll see in highlights video but it is the meat and potatoes of the art. Either will serve you well. Just giving you another angle to think about the problem from.

Bummer of a situation. Really, there's no good way around this sort of thing. Medical treatment is the key in all likelihood; however, you still do have to keep yourself and others safe. We deal with mentally unstable, combative people semi-routinely in my line of work. They are tough calls. Sometime, this goes better than others. I get the need to take care of a medical condition as a primary concern, I have to imagine that this is even more imperative with a family member. So, striking the subject is pretty much out of the question barring any extreme situation. Joint manipulation will probably be a highly cited tactic. Bear in mind; however, that these standing joint manipulations rely on destroying the joint via pressure and mechanical advantage to truly utilize them. Altered mental states can make anything less that that ineffective and leave you in a position of disadvantage. Really, in my experience of having to control these individuals, THE tactic to go with is controlling positions. Mount, side mount, ect. With him on the ground via takedown and you on top, you can exert a lot of control with minimal damage to the individual. This lets you wait out a rescue or police response for aid. If takedowns aren't your thing, at least tie up and work from back or side control, barring that, a tight pummel. Any of these options afford control, with minimal damage. They also give you great access to arm in triangle variants (standing and from the ground) and chokes. This can be the next step up for you in the control spectrum without heavily damaging the subject.

7/5 2.5 mile run pull ups squat curls neck bench abs

7/4 75 min free roll, assorted breaks. Spent some time fine tuning De La Riva variants and tightening side control.

Congrats!

7/3 neck shouler press squats curls abs

I waste far too much time at Warcraft. Like far too much. Outside that I like spending time fishing since I can do that with my kids. Climbing used to take up a big chunk of my non martial arts time, but I've backed off since the kiddos keep me home more these days.

Welcome to KF!

7/2 2.5 mile run

7/1 Drilled double, single work then body locks for 40 Worked on taking back from double 20 min free roll

I'll be the dissenting opinion here. I haven't done kata for years, although I did my share back in the day. To me, kata is an outdated training modality. It was designed for a different time and situation. Now, rather than hide bunkai and the like, we can freely practice each movement. The moving text book can replaced with repetition of actual applications. Theoretical movements can be replaced with live drilling via armored opponents, creating a more realistic feel. Tactics can be tested in randori with proper safety equipment and in proper sequence of reactions, not is partial snippets against hypothetical targets. Look at the advances in both equipment and learning science since kata was invented. We have advanced about two hundred years in both. Are the armed forces of the world still training with flintlock pistols? Training in position warfare? Nope, firearms and tactics training has evolved. We should do the same. Now, if one wants to practice kata for the history of the art, or cultural reasons, that's fine. Just be aware that a lot of kata were invented in the 70's, and a large chunk of what's left were modified heavily in the post WWII era, buyer beware. But it's all about what you want out of the arts. Each should get to practice for the reasons they want. But as a training aspect for fighting, kata has been surpassed by more scientifically proven methods of training due to our understanding of how human beings learn. The other thing that MMA has done for the martial arts community is a push back to dynamic training (note that dynamic does not mean full contact constantly). This is a good thing for all martial arts, not just competitive arts.

6/30 shoulder press neck work weighted pull ups deadlifts abs 20 min yoga cool down

Due respect, good technique won't protect you from getting a knuckle cut open on a swinging heavy bag. There are too many variables. So now I have a knuckle cut up so you have two options: a) keep training regardless and open it worse, this will contaminate the bag every time you use it. Not to mention your partners. Or, b) modify or stop training until it heals. This means you loose reps. This slows your progress. Considering you might be in a fight for you life tomorrow, that's less than ideal. Minimal protective gear is an advantage of studying the arts in the 21st century. We, as ma-ist, need to realize their advantage to press our training forward.

6/29 BJJ nite: Drilled clinch to arm drag, then to double. 15 min of clinch free work. Moved on to work on a heavily modified flying armbar. Then to passing guard for the meat of the night. 20 min free roll

6/28 neck work squat curls bench abs