Phloop

Neil, It sounds like your expecting too much from your self. Your constantly comparing your throws to how you did the first day. Don't. Next time you practice throws try this, don't think about your first day, don't think about last week, don't even think about how your doing that day. Insted only foucus on the moment and being relaxed. You said that you were using too much upper body strength. Could that be because you are too stressed out over how your doing?

Backroll-standups: Where you drop into a back break-fall, come forward into a squat position and stand straight up. This is ussually combined with pushups, jumping jaks, squat thrusts etc.

Although they are expensive, the wooden dummies are great for blocking practice, and developing trapping skills.

I totally agree with monkey girl. I have used this approach on numerous occasions on the street. (My personal stance is hands up to shoulder height, palms forward, feet at forty five degrees with 50/50 distribution, spring loaded on the rear foot like in JKD.) Anyway, the important thing is that after the altercations I spoke with on lookers, all of whom said that I looked like I didn't want to fight. Just a violence is the unfortunate reality of or society, so are lawsuits. IF I can be in a position to utilize my training and still not look like an aggressor, than I have all my bases covered.