lspahn

O no doubt..the leg kick punch to face is always the best plan. We train hard on working combinations together while sparing. i'm a big guy, and dance like an elephant, so smooth transitions and footwork are a challenge for me, but thats why i train.... I think what i meant was that those limits play in some cases, but the ability to exchange and win that forceful exchange (punch, kick, punch) is always the goal is absolutely correct. Plus those solid basics are what is really critical in my opinion. Solid Punches, kicks and blocks with good stances. Everything else falls into place around that.

Oh, i wasn't knocking them down..any guy that competes especially trains longer and harder then me...and like i said tough dudes who get a ton of ring time.. My point was that implementing rules tends to limit the overall effectiveness of how a system was intended when it was designed as opposed to to an understanding of limitations from day 1 such as MMA. I watch some bare knuckle whenever i can find it (mostly google or youtube) but you don't think that training your muscle memory to respond in certain ways for sport it will respond differently in real life? I have been training for about 3 years (this time around) so i fully admit there is a ton of growth for me personally, but usually find myself doing what i train. And i don't buy the 'one hit and your dead' mantra either. I would disagree that groin or eye shot or any other off limit area are bad luck as opposed to targeted attack since they are staple of a lot of techniques.

Well...UFC/MMA guys get a lot of "ring time" to build timing, strength and make them flat out tough as nails. This is undeniable. I think the issue is rules. UFC fights have rules...not striking here, or there. No poking here, etc. Then those guys train within those rules assuming others will also obey the rules of the sport. How many exchanges have we seen that stumble cause someone takes a finger to the eye or nice kick to the groin...and the ref puts a stop and gives him a minute.If it was a real fight and i got a finger in your eye (or nice kick to the groin), that would probably be it, You would get no time to recover, get up, see if your not blind. All that would have to wait till you woke up after a flurry of punches.. I think comparing combat sports to martial arts is always going to be problematic because goals are so different.

And I get a kick out of the fact that I'm only 6 steps removed from Funakoshi himself. To each his own. Me 2....I study Shudokan, and my Sensei studied under Sensei Todd and Sensei Mack. Sensei Todd Studied with Toyama himself. I recently got one of toyama's books (in japanese btw) and it was great to see Pinan Shodan shown in the book with the same detail points as we focus on. I am much older now then i was when i first began my MA journey, but i have to say that the lineage, history and tradition have become part of the art to me.