mma_magic

I've never actually been to Thailand but I hear very good things about the Legacy Gym in Ubon Ratchathani. I imagine it may be a more modern set up as opposed to some of the traditional schools because it incoporates MMA. I'm pretty sure they have an ex - K1 champion that teaches / trains there.

I think his explanation is pretty much spot on and he raises a valid point about the majority of the damage occuring when the person hits the deck. If you get KO'd during a sporting event then you generally land on canvas and have a ref there to stop you getting pummelled whilst you are out cold. The risk is reduced as far as possible and statistically deaths are very uncommon. Out in the street, it is a different game altogether as you will often land on a hard surface such as concrete. There are endless news stories about people getting killed or ending up with brain damage following single punch KO's. I personally have been KO'd twice. The first instance occured whilst sparring. I was out cold for a few seconds but came round quicky and suffered little side effects. The second occasion followed an unprovoked assault with a knuckle duster. My head hit the pavement on the way down and I was out cold for 4 mins. I now have a reduced sense of smell as a result of the idiocy of a very cowardly individual but things could have been much worse in that I might not have actually "woken up". KO's will always carry a degree of risk and I don't always feel comfortable with the way they are "glamorised", particulalry when there are idiots out there carry this mindset out onto our streets.

I'm a strong advocate of "the fence" as promoted by Geoff Thompson. Keep you hands up and use them to maintain distance between you and your adversary. Don't wait for an attack - always strike pre-emptively and make sure you follow up your attack. Do not make the mistake of stepping back to assess the damage after a pre-emptive strike - if he is still standing then he is still a risk. I have seen many people strike pre-emptively only to then go on and lose a fight simply because they failed to follow up their attack after realising their assailant was unperturbed. Simply do what is necessary to escape and worry about the legal ramifications of the altercation later. (9 times out of 10 you can disappear before the police turn up in any event and, as long as you have't seriously injured the other person, these matters are rarely taken any further) This may sound a little over the top to some, but you cannot afford to take chances when it comes to self protection / self preservation. You never know how an alteracation will end and its better to "over-react" in one sense, than become a statistic

Thanks guys. Looking forward to being a member!

Hi all I'm 32 and live in the UK. I studied martial arts up until the age of 25 including Shotokan Karate, Lau Gar Kung Fu, Kick Boxing and Muay Thai. I then had a 4-5 year break from martial arts training and became quite involved in bodybuilding. I then got the "MA bug" again and the I've been studying MMA and Muay Thai for about 2 years now.