tallgeese

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

9/20 Day 1 of JKD Level 1 Instructor's Course with Roy Harris. Fundamental work today. Stance, footwork, distancing along with training methodologies and concepts. Absolutely amazing day, can't wait for the rest of the week.

Welcome aboard!

Welcome to KF!

Very interesting way to look at it. I'd have to go with the slow/ patient. I don't like to rely on the counter fight. Nor to a blaze ahead. I look for my openings, or create them and them move at them methodically. As I get older, it becomes more important to spend energy only on what matters while continuing to pressure the other guy. I work of the jab most of the time while circling to expose the other guys defense and work in from there. Once we move to the ground I think this becomes more my style. I'm not a fancy ground fighter that spins a lot. I work to move up the positional ladder and try to start locking in subs that are technically sound enough that it does not matter if people know they are coming or not, they are still gonna come. You don't do that by being passive, but you don't move fast a lot either. But being patient and methodical, yeah, that will do it.

If you had a situation where it was two different arts, then the whole situation becomes easy. Of course you could, and should, train at a second facility. Within the same art does become a bit more hazy. Some instructors would be okay with this, others would not. If it's a one day a week outing due to scheduling or a lack of class on that day at your club that makes it very doable. If your club has Sat classes already then you might be in for some drama. This does not mean that it's not worth it, just something to keep in mind. The biggest thing about the situation you might be getting into is being up front with all parties involved. Your coach needs to know about it. He's spent all kinds of time getting you to where you are, you owe that to him. The instructor at the school that you'll be going to needs to know as well. He needs to know where you're coming from and where your final allegiance lies. He needs to know that as he will be sinking time into you as well. It's better if everyone is on board early. Besides one or both of them might say no, that would make the decision for you either to not train at the second school or move schools altogether if you don't like that training attitude (but it sounds as if changing schools won't happen due to your training schedule). Either way, keep them both informed on what you're thinking. I'm a big believer in cross training and training with other instructors. However, there's a lot of people who don't feel that way and it's best to know that before embarking on this sort of thing. Good luck, keep us posted.

9/18 Drilled ankle sweeps from Monday. Moved into half guard sweeps. 40 min free roll. 1, 5 min round of stand up.

Respectfully, because I'm sure you're skilled at what you do, that's a big statement. Maybe someone can, maybe someone can't; but by drilling it into student's heads that no one is going to take them down really sets them behind in mental prep if it does happen. Let's look at this another way as well. What if we're not talking about a fight ending up on the ground outside of the traditional ideal of a takedown. What if one is ambushed. It's hard to defend anything if you don't see it coming. What if one of your fighter trips due to a curb, or ice, or just flat out trips due to a bad step. These things happen. By burning absolutes into trainees heads you set them up for a mental hiccup when it does happen. FullPotential, I don't disagree that there are aspects of about any system that can be used outside their specilization. But again, we talking about focus here. If you want to learn to fight on the ground, spending time with an art that focuses there will get you good in the ground fight quicker. Me, doing a lot of BJJ these days, if I want to do takedowns more (something that we do conduct in BJJ but not truly it's specialty if we're being honest) then I'd spend some time in Judo if I wanted them up and running in shorter order. Will I eventually get those takedown reps in jits? Sure, but it's not the focus at the clubs I've trained at. So, if I want them quicker I'd address that in an art focused on them. That's all. As for utilizing aspects of your arts to fight on the ground, that's a great start. For a long time that's where I was when I was in a spot with no grappling arts. If there's a piece of advice I would give, it would be to seek out competent grapplers out of grappling specific arts to work out a fundamental understanding of the ground from. This is where they live, they can save you untold hours working on things that might be taking you down a wrong path. Just my thoughts from a guy who's been there.

9/16 Drilled takedown from tie up and trip. Variant. 30 min free roll.

9/13 Review of the weeks material. Drilled a couple of variants. 40 min free roll.

9/12 60 min of 5 min rounds free roll with strikes. Open mat and off of cage. Two rounds off.

9/11 am: Day 2 of CT at the dept. Today was knife work and police ground work. pm: Drilled hip bump sweep, flower sweep. Rounds of live roll, guard sweep vs. pass. 25 min free roll. 10 min free roll with strikes.

9/10 Spent day drilling CT at the dept. Striking and standing clinch.

9/9 Drilled punch block sequence from guard. Moved on to elevator sweep and scissor sweep. 30 min free roll 15 min free roll w/ strikes for fighters.

Do let us know how that turns out! 9/4/2013 Taught TKD: 6:00 - 7:30 pm. Basics, forms, one-steps, sparring. Ask an you shall receive. It's up on the Promotions board now. Video excerpt included.

Hey everyone, since he's not going to say anything himself, I'll brag on him a bit. Our very own Groinstrike earned his black belt this weekend! He endured a fairly marathon test covering major ranges of combat, technical and free form aspect as well as the Bujin mandatory hour long sparring for 1st Dan that ranged from stand up work to fighting on the ground. Well done, GS! Great work. For a bit a sharing, I'll give up one of the highlights that I happened to catch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNdMZmCiNp0 It's a really good stick redirection to striking that gets countered and GS pulls an inspired counter to the counter. Totally spontaneous and well executed and probably the best single movement during the test, IMO. Again, nice work and congrats!

9/7 Marathon testing for Groinstrike's black belt. Got to do lots of stuff from various sparring and rolling to weapons work.

Congrats! Nice work!

9/5 Drilled takedowns from cage, landing on top. Free sparring off cage by rounds. Rounds of ground n pound.

Welcome to KF! Looking forward to hearing your perspectives!

There are some pretty common cross-training pairs out there. Lots of JKD guys cross train in other things. Hence the various sects that favor FMA flavors or grappling or kickboxing. FMA itself has become a popular cross training focus in certain area for the weapons focus it brings for some that do not have that component in their core art. BJJ, a core art for many, has become the art to cross train in for lots of stand up systems. Conversely, many schools now that are BJJ primary have muai thai as well. It's a very common cross training theme due to the emergence and growth of MMA into what it's become today. As to Hapkido itself I have no insight.

9/4 Worked on triangle escapes. 40 min free roll.

I promise, my last post on this thread I understand the purpose of kata, and I've been lucky enough to train with a person or two who was really good about digging deep into it. I also understand modern adult learning theory and conflict psychology, as well as how to design training programs to fulfill a combative purpose. I understand how we've advanced in our ability to transmit ideas since the late 1800s. Because of this, I'm one of those guys who just doesn't want to spend time doing it. Learning tactics by cutting the "middle man" so to speak (kata) out of the equation shows adults the "why"faster and enhances learning. It's more pliable to a dynamic phase of training, quicker. I don't think it's bad. I just don't think it's the best way to train, given modern methods of training. IF one is looking for the most efficient training time vs. payoff equation. If this isn't a concern, then it's no harm, no foul. If you just like kata, or the culture, or the art, then it's GREAT. But people in the east were training in hand to hand combat well before the advent of kata. It hasn't always been kata and karate type training going hand in hand. Nor should it always have to be- UNLESS you're training for that specific goal. Or to preserve that tradition. Then you had best be doing them. MP has pointed out before that I still think I'm a karate guy, despite the fact that I've morphed into something different. Therefore, my view on this isn't really a true "karate" viewpoint any longer. That might be true, and if it is, then please disregard. However, having had a great training experience in karate, and other combatives, I can say that it hasn't impacted my journey in the least to move thru karate without kata, or at least with a diminishing regard for them. Here's the thing, something has to fill the training void if kata is taken out. The question is, is there something more worthwhile to fill it with. My answer was yes, and this was after exposure to very good kata instruction. In this, we go back to learning theory. Everyone, each of us, will learn better or worse based on the method used. If kata works for one person, great. I wasn't one of those people. I learn better by direct learning. Attack and defense kind of training. Mobile mitts, ect. No one method will suit everyone best. It's too narrow to say that kata is the only way to become proficient simply because it assumes that all learning patterns are the same. We know now that they are not. One day, someone will end the debate forever when a way is found to control all outside variables in two fresh trainees and research can be conducted and repeated about which method, kata or another, brings a fighter to speed quicker. But the variables are too many and intrinsic to the individual for now. Until then, we take what we know based on experience and do the best we can. There, all done.

9/3 Drilled ground n pound. Drills followed by free roll.

Labor Day weekend: Plenty of paddling, so my back and shoulders got a great workout. That said, I managed to offset any and all health benefits with excessive food and alcohol consumption. 9/1: am: 1.5 mile run abs light chest pm: Drilled escaping the arm bar from top of guard. Couple of variants. 30 min free roll.