tallgeese

There are some good core ideas to work from in the Jun Fan/Jeet kune Do Textbook that would be a good place to start. Near the rear in "Essintail Qualities" if memory serves.

I agree, one single stance for everything. If there are things that just won't fit or you can't make fit in it, take a long hard look and see how much you really need them. Espically if you have a good athletic stance that you can move and defend from. Personally, I use a more frontal stance. It's very akin to what Lee advocated in JKD as a frontal stance. Not quite, but close. I use it for all my work, even weapons. Heck, even my shooting stance is close to it. That way everything works off the same platform and there's no shuffling around for optiamal position.

That's true of any attack. Never expect the bad guy to fall, or quit, keep fighting until the threat has been eliminated. That being said, it's not a bad tactic. I've seen it work well, I've seen it shrugged off. From the flip side, you can't go into a confrontation thinking that it will stop you either. If you expect an attack to cripple you, it will. Mentally, you have to prepare to move thru anything and continue. To kez's point, you do have to train to whatever competitive rules you're operating under. I advocate stopping any other facets of your training, outside of the comp's specific guidelines about 2 months out if youre serious about the competition. At least you should radically curtail them. However, doing them in the dojo only makes sense if your doing any sort of sd focus in your art. That means occasionally sparring with them as well. Personally, and maybe you said this in jest kez and if so I apologize ahead of time, I'd either work on the mental aspet of employing a tool until I could be certain reasonably that I'd use it, or I'd stop training it. To practice a tool that you know you won't use in conflict is both a time killer for the other aspects of your training and a false security blanket as well. Either accept the physiological damage that a tool can do, or move on to find another. Nothing good can come of dabbling in something that you are unwilling to employ when it counts. I have the same gripe from the other side as well. The "if I were attacked I'd use...." Insert whatever here. And then that person never bothers to train in it's use. From ma-ers you hear it alot in the aspect of eye gouges. "I'd gouge the eyes..." then you never see them address it in training. This leaves them both physically and mentally unpreapred for the challenge of using it. I also hear it from gun laypeople. "I'll shoot them if they break in and...." Then you never see them at the range. Let alone doing weapon handling work. Anyway, just my thoughs. Sorry it that's n ot how you meant it, kez. I think it probibly still bears saying however.

Here's the thing, I see what you're saying Justice; and like Throwdown, I was assuming a properly trained individual who had a basic understanding of what he was trying to accomplish during sparring. The way I see it, sparring is where you can push the envelope. It's where you can apply those principles and movements that you've been training in drills in a live setting. Again, good simulation training is key for this as well. I agree, that two man work has an important place in sd training as well. Spontanity developed by this sort of work is a major factor in adapting to real world enviorns. But it's not to only option in the toolbox. Nor is it, in my opinion, the best for developing the ability to fuction thru an adriniline dump and the loss of finite skills that goes with a fight. Sparring does that stress innoculation very well.

To the basic question, proper execution is important but it's useless without understanding application. It'd be like the square hole-round peg thing. Sparring can teach this, but like you said bushido man, it has to be taught. I'm a firm believer in drilling different sparring movments during class time. Breaking things down and working the pieces is very important. Once you've drilled that or specific concepts, then you can chain everything together. As to the sparring/self defense question nad how it applies, I think that sparrring should be done in ammer that enhances sd skill and is an intregal part ot teaching it, both shysically and mentally. It's more about the hows or sparring than the act of sparring that mek it useful. Most of the scraps I"ve been in on the job have been more like a sparring session of ours than anything elseoutside of armored committed attack and defend drills. Hence, I find it very useful in training peope to fight. I think attack and defend drills are important too. I don't like to think in terms of "technique". It has too many connotations of meeting x attack with y defence. This tends to get student trapped in a pattern that makes them less than adaptable and effective in a real fight. Sparring is useful in taking those skills frompre set drill to live. It's agood stepping stone. Thata being said, it can be a lot of fun to gust go spar. I think that this kind of thing should cap off most training sessions that are focused on sparring just to keep the energy levels and enthusiasm up It also help gel the whole thing you've been working on. You just can't make it the entire training protocol.

today- 6, 3 min rounds working agaisnt and armored mitt holder. Combos, defense, add takedowns, knees and elbows second round. with 6, 3 min rounds of work on the ground and pound bag 25 min work on offense from the guard. Worked sweep 4, kimura, choke, single side weave series. Went over kimura defenses as well 6, 3 min rounds of free roll. Start from postion in the guard to capatalize on the drill work.

I think that a student should have as many insturctors as will be beneficial to him in helping him acheive his goals. This is where cross training comes into play quite a bit. I've trained under several people simeotanously several times during my career. It's easier as you get "older" so to speak in the arts. It's also easier if the diciplines are closely related or at least share the same end result goals. Still, if you're training in a strike heavy art, let's even say kickboxing and you want competency with knives and such you're going to have to study with another trainer. So now your working a couple days per week in your primary form- kickboxing; and maybe taking a silat course on a Sat schedule. Now, let's say he want to learn to grapple as well (popular these days) so he adds on a mid week class between his kb classes. Now, this is a guy with alot of time on his hands, but you see the point. Now he's putting time in learning all the things he's interested in. Eventually, he's going to learn to encorporate them all, but that will be down the line. If you're lucky, you've got a well rounded guy or two around you school already, so maybe the second "instructor" will be more informal in nature. But your still learning something outside your inital training framework. Hence, a few more instructors.

But this hypothetical guys has a) trained in Shotokan and b) is a shodan in it. Why shouldn't he teach it to the level he's attained?

True , ma-ers are not normal people. Still, the whole pepper in the eyes thing is weird beyond evern us

Small family gathering at home after church. Pretty nice day.

I'm with sensei8 on this one. If you have a guy counter by stepping out and dropping his center, he'll probibly working your hands down as well for control. He's not going to have alot to stop him. Step back when his center is sufficiently low, rake the head back hard and plant him. It's easy, takes little effort on energy and will have the bonus of landing you in a pretty good position for multiple stratigies from there.

I'd respectfully disagree a bit here. I do think that the primary function of any martial art study should be self defense. Granted, arts have fractured quite a bit in the modern era so there are plenty that aren't focused on combatives these days, and that's fine- so long as the instructors there re up front about it. If one wants to study for combative purposes, then they should find a school that gives them that. If they want a sport or phylosophical disclipline, then they should seek one of those out. The bottom line is that they should find a school that wil meet their needs. For me, ma's are about fighting. Everything else one can glean from their study is secondary in nature. I won't argure that the diclipline and training that a ma-er puts in does seperate him from a random guy swinging his fists, but at the end of the day, at it's core, ma is about fighting. In light of that, I think that groin kicking should be taught, and practiced, and defended against. This includes in select sparring situations. Appropriate equiment is a must, good control helps, and everyone needs to be up to speed on the expectations about its use. I don't think it needs to be done every sparring session, after all kneeding someone there doesnot take years of study to figure out. But it should be utilized on occassion. Certanly it needs to be on the table during simulatin drills. The other thing to consider that, as effective as it is, it's not a magic bullit. People can and have walked thru them for one reason or another. Which is another good reason to work them in sparring from time to time. It helps dull the inital mental lock up that can occur with contact there. So, working them into an ongoing sparring situation helps one prepare to adapt to the possibility that the fight continues after one lands solid on the street. It's akin to practicing eye gouges agaisnt goggles or sheilded head gear. It's simulating very useful weapons in a free fight enviornment. Again, dosn't have to be done everytime, but it's good to keep honed with this kind of thing occassionally. Addint them sparring keeps you fluid and adapting to changing situations and attakers that keep coming. Good training.

Welcome aboard!

Same in law enforcement, Grego.

The 15 min. comes out of the adult learning model. According to it, adults learn better when they get that mental pause intermittantly like that. I don't have the exact science right in front of me, I'd have to look if you're interested. Conversly, there's probibly some good sites out there about it. I like the smaller breaks just becuause you'd keep everyone on campus. They'd still be kind of in the mindset of what you're doing and you wouldn't have to start back over again from scratch after they slurped down a big mac. It'd give them teh cahnce to recharge mentally, get some water, fast snack maybe and that's it, back to training. That's my thoughs anyway.

Very nice. Let us konw how that progresses.

I don't really see it happenining. We're a culture that sees a much higher value in armed combat. If it ever goes to martial law, that will be the focus, not ma's.

I'm from outside any established organizational umbrella that's of any size so it's easier for me. If he's ranked in it, yes, he can teach it. If he's a bb, then he's qualified at some level. Now, will any rank he gives be recognized by certain bodies? mybe or maybe not. But as long as he's passing along good info, why not?

If you're going to do a big block like that, or have no choice, then I'd break for about 15 min each hour and radically alter the focus of training after each break. So, maybe (and just using an example form what I do), start with some mitt work and drills for hour one, maybe some light sparring DRILLS. For hour two, move to grappling work. This will flow pretty nice from the stand up. For block three, I'd switch gears and go for some knife/club work. Striking and cutting, locking, offense, defense- run the gambit and get the mind working along differnt paths. Then, for block four, I'd get some standing jj work in for a finish. If you're up for it, you could do simulation sparring here or attack/defend drills to fininsh on a higher cardio note. You can see how the mental focus changes with each hour, that will help keep it fresh. Don't get me wrong, I still think its an uphill battle. But left with that optioin, I'd try something along those lines. I'd also switch up the order frequently to keep it from becoming routine.

This is what I use alot to keep things I'm working ma wise in my head. I'll jot some ideas down after training or when a drill comes to me, or I pirate one from here on the site . It's also where I'll keep thoughs on whatever I'm working on putting together. Lately it's been a knife project but it works for everything.

today- roll for position, about 30% for 15 series from side mount- escape, counter, second escape effort, move to sweep 3, reverse, armbar. About 20 min building hte progression. 20 min drilling escape from mount and repping it. 4, 3 min rounds starting from negitive position. Today we worked out of the mount. 4, 3 min rounds from standing.

As to how to fight a guy your size, well, it's problematic. I'll generally crash the distance gap at first opportunity. This brings me up nice and close where I can put my weapons to work with power and keeps me out of your power zone. Relitively speaking. If that's too difficult, or you look to be a solid grappler by your stance, then I'll try to utilize stop hits and limb destructions to work something loose on the entry front.

I think it'd be tough. Aside for the cardio componant of keeping going for that long you have to look at a mental loss of intensity and concentration over that time frame.

I just ignore the kata empahsis. The book is still filled with great stuff.

today- sparring: 3 min rounds of- hands hands/feet hands/feet/clinch above plus to takedown x 2 rounds 20 min drilling on sweep series 1-7 5, 3 min rounds of free roll from feet