Iron Arahat

When I trained guys for San Shou, we used push ups in the following manner. We would skip rounds to build cardio and fitness. Some fighters who were lazy would, trip over the rope, stop, and then start skipping again. They would use it as a break from the conditioning at hand. Each time you stopped during a round, you would owe 10 pushups during the rest between rounds. It was used to teach people to press forward. That it is better to push at the task at hand, with all your effort. The plus was that it did build very fit fighters. When I was still fighting actively, and I trained along side my fighters as well, I would be subject to the same rules, and on bad days did my fair share.

If you train properly, and stop training your hands will look normal after some time. Generally speaking your hands will look "puffy", no horrid knuckles, etc.

Probably your largest hurdle, and potential issue, as ego can be a huge thing. I train now on a regular basis with a croup of guys, who all have different backgrounds. All we do is submission grappling for lack of a better turn. It is just the players (no instructors), we are at a place with mats, no spectators. Everyone was a high level athlete in their younger years, and have nothing left to prove, but just enjoy training. However, I have had situations where in the past I have been invited for such days, and it has been very much a spectical, with a club with an agenda to prove something, or players with a huge ego in which some fun turns to be serious. Just food for thought.

It was a sad display...really I think whoever trains these "professionals" should be embarrassed. I can understand in amateur bouts that guys may be out of shape, and that their skills aren't polished (like turning your head away when throwing a punch for fear of getting hit), but to be a pro, that is really sad. I wouldn't let an amateur who isn't ready take a fight, I am surprised that people will back these "pros". I would say some coaches are to blame as well as promoters...

I went to the School of Hard Knocks event here in Calgary this past Friday on the request of one of my friends who I will be cornering in his first bout this August in New York. He had asked me to come and see the fights, as he was interested in taking a fight after his debut in NYC, he is boxing, but is thinking about taking on a MMA fight. I was surprised when the "pro" bouts came around. I am not sure how some of these guys were considered "pro", as it was evident that they had very little fight experience, and to be honest some of them I would be embarrassed to step into the ring looking that out of shape. I am curious if local MMA events all around North America, if the "pro" events have some people that have really no business in a ring let alone calling themselves a pro. Fights were entertaining, but that is only because these guys came out and threw punches like your typical bar brawler and that most the fights ended fast. I also have to say that tapping out due to strikes is pretty lame...

ps1 I understand your point that the position is dynamic, just like standing on your feet is dynamic and fighting as a whole is dynamic. "The only time a hole is exposed is when a person gets beat up while trying to use their guard or gets their guard passed." I agree, and that happens all the time, people get their guard passed or get hit. Back to my point that there is a hole in virtually everyone's guard game.

I think that there is a hole in pretty much everyone's guard game, and it is a pretty low percentage in which you see most fighters get finished in someone's guard.

The portion about "stunting my growth" was in response to tallgeese. No need to apologize JiuJitsuNation, forums are all about discussion. My point is simple as it pertains to the original question, "When grappling, how viable are groin strikes?"...and I profess they are viable, but that I guess depends on your definition of viable, and what you are looking t the final outcome to be. Is it likely going to end a fight? In my opinion the answer is "no". Can it be used to gain an advantage, I would say yes. Even if a groin shot just enough to cause a little pain, someone can use it to gain advantage. My chin example is just an example of how people will naturally shift their body position because it is uncomfortable. Some people will respond more than others. It's just like when people use their elbows to break guard by pushing in the inner thigh of their opponent, it bothers some people enough that they will give up a closed guard, while others it won't do a ting. As you said JiuJitsuNation, even an incidental groin shot during a scramble can be quite painful. For some that will be enough for them to stop completely, or roll around in pain, while others will continue. To me this is proof that if you can land a shot it is viable.

I wouldn't call them novice grapplers...unless you consider blue and brown belts novices. Most LEO's work together despite outside "teams", and put in numerous hours training with others outside their camps if they are open minded. I am not training to be a grappler, so I am not stunting my growth in my books.

Some of you may remember me from years ago...I have been lurking, mainly because I changed my email and forgot my password (all resolved now). I am a Shaolin practitioner from the lineage of Sek Koh Sam, and was a competitive San Shou fighter, but has sinced retired. Many of you may have remember some of my competitions, or even seen me fight. I am also a professional artist http://www.painindesigns.com and film maker, as well as run my own brand Pain Inc. Anyways glad to be typing again. I have trained for over 25 years...

I will profess that it is still viable option. I roll with 4 different jujitsu players, from three different camps, on a weekly basis. I am not jujitsu trained, we practice with strikes as well as without, but are strictly doing "groundwork". There is a big difference between striking on the ground and not, and it changes the gameplay immensely. Dirty tactics can change the game as well, distractions work to gain a better position. Many jujistsu practitioners that come from a pure jujitsu camp, are often not well prepared for adding striking to their ground game, and are not well versed in dealing with the urgency that a barage of stikes entails. Simply digging your chin or a fist into a persons ribs in half-guard, can create a big enough diversion to move into side control or progress to mount. So driving an elbow into the groin, or even a knee could easily disrupt a guys gameplan.

There is no absolute answer to your question. It will be highly dependent on the situation at hand, and the numerous factors involved. That being said, if you are not confident in your abilities, the simple answer will be no. Your fear ill hold you back.

Totally viable...a game finisher, probably not. Can you use dirty tactics to gain advantage, most definitely. JJN, you may have never worn a cup in competition, but rule prohibit such strikes, and by nature of the training, it is not something that is going to likely happen when to trained players are competing.

These things are very much a fad. Boxing on a system like that is nothing like real boxing whatsoever. Might be better for kids who are video addicts to get a little exercise, but far from a good training tool at this point.

I know a guy who does the Gracie training, and uses it to charge his students more to do classes. Really sad in my opinion. I have seen some of the teaching material. In all honesty, not the best way to learn, but if your other option is nothing, the choice is pretty easy.

Being outsized will only make you better. I currently roll with 4 guys who are much bigger than me. I give up 60 lbs on average. The smallest of them is 240lbs. I am 190lbs. This kind of disadvantage in grappling will only make you stronger, and better. While you may not be able to submit them, you will have small successes, sweeping them, passing guard, getting mount, escaping poor positioning. When you get to roll with someone your own size it will feel like nothing compared to what you are used to giving yourself a huge advantage. You get a better workout being a smaller man rolling with a bigger man, vs the opposit scenario.

There are lots of schools around the temple...that foreigners can train at, but they are not all true monks.

My question is that if you wanted to join a system that doesn't use ranking, why even bother to compare to a "black belt"?

I agree with this, but there is an understimation when it comes to kung-fu, based on what you refer to as "demonstrated effectiveness". Many people are unaware of Chi Sao/Chin na application, or even what it is, as I said I am fine with that. There is a place for competition, but in many ways competition is also biased, and records are not tell alls about a person, instruction or style. Any sport has rules which can make a difference in a persons success based on style. I would have a hell of a time fighting in a Tae Kwon Do ruled match, pure pointfighting or even wrestling, does this make me a poor fighter? Does it make me less of an instructor? Will it weed me out as not as good? I would think no, it is the boundries set by the rules that work against me and my style, not the validity of what we do. Just like any of those styles may find difficulty in a San Shou ring, because there style is not suited to the system of rules. That being said I believe competition can be a healthy component of any martial art regiment, but people need to understand that competition whether it be san shou, pint fighting, no-holds, ufc, shootifghting, wrestling, judo, boxing or otherwise is just that, competition, and is a far cry from reality.

To be honest, what does it matter if people put down kung fu or not? The truth of the matter is that if people are overconfident, because they feel kung fu is to "fancy" or "flowery", that is good for the practitioner, being underestimated is a great advantage. Bad rap because you don't fight in tournaments, again who cares? Tournament fighting is not a real fight. Don't get me wrong competition can give you some great experience and skills, that can help translate into the real world. Most Chinese systems have great depth, but finding a quality instructor like any art can be the largest issue.

Beckham? Lol...he's on a decline now, playing for the Galaxy.

Movie was alright, seemed like a lead up movie for something really big.

I work for the Department of Justice, run a martial arts school, and do custom painting. Always busy.

There is a lot to proper conditioning/body hardening. Use of medicine, training practices, etc. When I used to train my hands for breaking you could tell the difference, but there was no perminant damage to my hands as I trained them properly. I haven't trained my hands in such a way for some time and there is no nerve damage, etc. Problem is is that often people do not have a full understanding of how to train properly, and while gaining results do more harm than good.

Sad thing is a lot of times you will see the addition of belts/sashes as a means to collect fees and make more money off students for "testing fees"