jaypo

Awesome! Congrats!

If my memory serves me correctly, it was that huge guy from "Gladiator". I have a friend that lived in LA, and she met him at an event. He kept asking her out, but she was married at the time. She said he was very nice, but HUGE!!

I had reservations about my instructor before I started training. He wasn't part of a "governing body", and many of the forms we practiced weren't traditional forms. However, I discovered thru my own research that he obtained his black belt from Master Okazaki who was a direct student of Master Funakoshi. And after that, while in the Marines, he trained extensively in Okinawa. Upon returning to the states, he opened classes on his own, but struggling to pay rent on a facility, he grew tired of "sending his money overseas to support an organization when he couldn't even support his own classes". So he kept training students under his own system. I was affiliated with a JKA and SKIF Shotokan school previously (the instructor switched while I was there), and my current instructor does still teach the traditional art of Shotokan. However, he trained Shorin Ryu in Okinawa, and he also instructs based on his knowledge of that style. I compare his teachings of bunkai to countless other examples online and with other styles, and it holds water. So even though he isn't a member of any worldwide organization, his instruction is comparable to everything else I can find. So if you feel that the instruction you receive is adequate to help you meet your goals as a martial artist, then you have accomplished what you needed to from your instructor. If you feel that you haven't obtained the knowledge that you should have, then, it may be time to second guess it.

Ah, but in Cyborg, he wasn't the robot! It was the lady. She supposedly had some info. that needed to get to Atlanta, and JCVD was escorting her there. But Fender and his band of merry criminals hijacked her to benefit monetarily by getting her there first!

Man, I haven't see Cyborg in ages! "I'LL take you to Atlanta!!!"

This all sounds interesting. Why not take it one step further - ask some judo, bjj, or wrestlers in your area to spar, try this out. If you want to eye gouge, buy some goggles and propose it as part of the ruleset. Put a vid here, I would watch with interest. I think you should realise one other thing as well - an eye attack, even if successful, while excruciating and delibitating, isn't a magic off switch. Gerard Gordeau famously lost an MMA fight after blinding his opponent in one eye, for example. I would love to, but we've invited students from a couple of BJJ clubs around here to come train with us, and nobody has taken us up on it. There is only one of my friends that would be willing to do so with me, but he outweighs me by 80lbs (of muscle!), and he's a brown belt in BJJ, so regardless of our respecitve skill levels, I don't think that would work in this specific example. The only time I have trained with him and his students, everything I was able to do that gave me the advantage was "against the rule set". For example, when I would be in the guard, as my opponent would attempt a submission, I had a clear access to the groin, but it's not legal. I had clear access to points on his ankle, calf, and thigh, but I was not able to execute them because it was against the rules. So I was never truly able to test anything out because I was restricted to the grapplers' rules. Now, if my buddy and I would square off, if I wasn't able to put him out before he grabbed me, I'm sure it would be over for me. I don't have the size and strength to overcome someone of his size and strength with his skill level (he's a world class BJJ practitioner and trains with American Top Team). However, if we were the same size and strength, I would have a decent chance. Especially if he fights me using the same techniques that were used when I was in the guard. For all the grapplers in here, I'm in no way trying to downplay the grappling arts. As a matter of fact, I wish we did more of it. (I would love to train JUDO, but there are no schools anywhere around me) I am just offering my thoughts on the subject of how to win vs. a grappler. I would have to try the tools that I have in my arsenal, and I think they would give me a pretty decent chance. However, if I'm tackled by Daniel Cormier, I would pretty much accept defeat!!

And THAT is what makes you a true martial artist!

I agree. And one of the things that Sensei constantly drills to us is that some techniques just don't work on some people for whatever reason. But he also says that some people can condition some points to take pain, but nobody can condition their eyes or certain other points. What really matters is the skill level of the 2 combatants. The thread is "how to win vs. a grappler", so if I'm more skilled as a striker than he is as a grappler, I'd have the advantage (in most cases). I believe that to win vs. a grappler, a striker needs to be able to remain upright first and foremost, and if taken down, know how to defend intelligently while finding either some kind of offense from the ground or find a way to get back upright! I never got into "wrestling". I was always the skinny, weak kid on the block, so it wasn't much of a contest. And therefore, I got bullied a lot by the bigger, stronger "wrestlers". I grew to equate wrestlers to bullies simply because that was what my life experiences had taught me! Since there were no programs around me to learn wrestling, I took up Shotokan and became pretty decent at it. However, we rarely did any throws or takedowns. Now, one of the things I like to train the most is takedowns and throws. We don't focus on it, but we do incorporate some throws. Most of them come from our katas. I enjoy it now because I am bigger and stronger compared to when I was young, and those attributes make me better at it. I don't think I could "outwrestle" someone that constantly trains in wrestling, and I don't think I would outgrapple a BJJ or Judoka. However, an encounter with those types of guys won't start with me on the ground. And before I get to the ground, they're going to have to be in my comfort zone dealing with my strong points before we get to theirs. Unless they're on my level of striking, I'd say I have a pretty decent chance of ending the encounter before we enter their comfort zone. If not, I'd be at a disadvantage, but I would not be totally helpless. So in short, I'm pretty confident that if I encounter a grappler on an even playing field, if it makes it into grappling range, there's a pretty good chance that he's not taking me down at 100%. He's going to eat some strikes. At that point, it will depend on who is the mentally stronger person.

I find that the ones that usually quit right after obtaining their black belts are not truly martial artists. They're not full invested in all that their art offers. They believe that once they get that belt, they've achieved what they wanted. And if the belt is all they wanted, that proves my point. I had a goal to obtain my black belt. I set that goal in my teens. But it wasn't a goal to reach and stop. I see it as another rung on a very long ladder. Once I hit that rung, I would be better equipped to continue climbing! I viewed my Shodan ranking as the beginning. I realize that the work will continue to get harder and harder, and I'm okay with that. Too many people view it as the ultimate goal. They believe that it should be smooth sailing from there, and that creates an incorrect expectation. When they realize that it isn't, they lose interest. That's my theory, anyway!

These are grappling techniques, albeit practiced as part of a striking-focused art. Hence it is simple repetition of the point that against a grappler it is best to have some grappling experience of your own. As I was training tuite last night in my Kyusho class, my Sensei told me a story. His son is an MMA fighter whose base is TKD. He also trains in BJJ and wrestling. Both he and his son are about the same size (6'0, 210). His son was in town last week, and they decided to do some ground work. His son took him down and started doing what he was taught to do in BJJ. Sensei Defrene said that even though he was in a vulnerable position, he said his eyes opened up because of all of the targets he had available. He took his elbow and pressed it on the inside of his son's thigh as his son was attempting a RNC, and his son yelled and let go of the hold. He said that was the easiest one to hit, but he saw about a half dozen other techniques he could have used. His son had a bruise a for a week from just applying a little pressure while on defense on the ground! That's the beauty of Kyusho that I'm finding. No matter what situation you're in, there are multiple ways to get out of it. Now, I can't say that I'd be able to prevent an olympic level wrestler from throwing me once he gets a double leg on me. But before I land, you can be assured that I will have activated at least 2 points on him, and he will be affected by it. Once we get on the ground, if I'm still conscious, and if I can still move my arms, he is at as much of a disadvantage as I am because I know how many targets I have available. And unless he has trained as I have, he doesn't! So he may think that his ability to keep me on the ground puts him in control. But once I dig my knuckle into spleen point 6, he'll have to seriously evaluate whether or not it's in his best interest to stay there!

Just read that Gina Carano will be on board as well, and from what I can read into it, she may take the role that "Freddie Lee" played in the original, or some variation thereof.

I just read that the Kickboxer reboot will be filming in New Orleans which is about 56 miles from where I am! JCVD has signed on to play a prominent role as well as Georges St. Pierre!! Dave Bautista is set to play Tong Po. I may have to venture that way to catch a glimpse!

Wildbourgman- I share your sentiments. I've obtained a Nidan ranking in Okinawan Karate, and I'm now learning more of the tuite, throws, and takedowns in those arts. I'm also training with a Kyusho black belt that is helping me to understand why some techniques work and slight variations to what I already know to make it more effective. I fully believe that even if a grappler "gets his hands on me", he'll have to put me out quickly. Because if he doesn't, I have a whole lot of things to attack! Another question is rule set. Am I allowed to stick my fingers in his eyes? Am I allowed to bite his neck? Pinch the skin under his arm? Jab a finger into his throat? Head butt his nose? If not, sure, he's at a huge advantage if he gets his hands on me. But I can do most of those things while he has me in his grip, I believe I have the advantage over him no matter where the fight takes place! I have the advantage in striking, and I have the advantage in "critical range" unless his skill level is equal to mine.

Good to hear from you again! Hope everything works out for you in your personal life and in your training. Godspeed!

I would say clearly self defense. Regardless of his training or knowledge, he was attacked by 3 younger individuals, one of which was armed. He simply met the threat with equal force. Why should the one quicker on the draw go to jail? Especially when he was at a disadvantage in the first place? Sorry a man lost his life, but clearly a case of "him or me", and the "me" was just defending himself and possibly just saved a young lady's life.

One thing we started to learn as advanced belts was how to transform any defensive move to an attack. In our first Kata, Heian Shodan, every single block is an attack. And from my Karate training, we learn a lot of different off angle defense and attacks. Now, incorporating Kyusho to my existing training, every single thing becomes a target. From the tips of the attacker's finger to his spleen inside his body. My strategy would depend on how well prepared I was for the barrage. If I'm prepared, I'd probably use angles to defend and then attack his attack, or "block" his barrage at key "regions" to make him think twice about using that limb to attack me with. That would disrupt his energy. Then, it would be followed with a barrage of my own and/or joint lock or whatever I could do to totally disable him from attacking me. If I were unprepared but still able to avoid that first sucker punch, I would use my footwork to evade his attacks until I am able begin my counters. Then, refer to game plan above! Again, everybody has a game plan until they get punched in the mouth. But one advantage I'm seeing from studying Kyusho is that even without my full wits about me, if I get my hands on an attacker, I can inflict pain from anywhere. From his toe to his head.

I've been training more tuite thru Kyusho and some Hapkido with another instructor. It adds a little more to my karate training. And when used correctly, I can put anyone down. The man I train under is about 6'0, 215, and very strong. I'm 6'0 and 185 and fairly strong. And when he shows me the correct way to do things, I can put him down with little effort at all. Sometimes, with just adjusting the angle of a hand. And it helps to know a lot of pressure points as well, because even if you can disrupt his intent for a few seconds by hitting a vital point, it can create an opportunity to end the situation. Grappling with my instructor feels weird because he's trained, and I'm not, but when I perform the techniques as he teaches them to me, it negates a lot of the advantages a grappler has over me.

Congrats! I know only 1 BJJ black belt and a bunch of other brown and blue belts, and I know their skill level. Never having trained in BJJ but seeing their skill level at a lower belt shows me that to obtain a black belt in BJJ, your skill level must be amazing. So congrats on your awesome accomplishment!

Of those 4, I'd choose "What are the risks". About the others, I had an experience with this yesterday. Our class was all about Bassai Dai and the applications of it. There was 1 black belt and a brown belt working on the the movements. The night before, I watched a video of an instructor doing street applications from Bassai Dai, and I loved it. Some things I've already done, but a couple were new to me. So I demonstrated those things to the 2 students, and they understood. So in this case, it wasn't a matter of "let me show you how it's done". Rather, it was a matter of "let me show you how it COULD be done in addition to what you've already learned". My Sensei always says that a kata could have a million applications. So for every movement in every kata, there's multiple "ways" it could be applied. Not just "THE WAY".

I had a thought as I was driving home from lunch thinking about this thread. I love martial arts for a few reasons. One is that I love the "art" and philosophical benefits I get from it. Another is that I love the confidence that it gives me. Another is that I love the physical benefits of practicing my art. And the final one is that I enjoy knowing that I can defend myself if the need arises. But never have I walked into a dojo and trained with the mindset of enjoying the ability to hurt someone else. And far too many of these MMA fighters enjoy that aspect of it. I would easily be able to hurt somebody if my life or the life of my loved ones was at stake, but not for competition. I feel badly if I hurt someone accidentally while training. I'm by no means "soft", but I just don't enjoy hurting others. Which is why I love seeing the loudmouth "tuff guys" in MMA get defeated.

And her comments demonstrate why my favorite fighters are the GSP's and Machida's of the world. I am not a fan of the "tough guy" fighter that competes just to beat people up. I hate the cocky "dude bro" type fighters. I like the MARTIAL ARTISTS that also happen to make a living fighting in the cage. They always respect their opponents and the well being of their opponents. Jessica's comments irked me.

Funakoshi Sensei despised tournaments. He felt that it wasn't representative of what he was teaching. I believe there is a benefit to competitions if they're approached with the right mindset. If you go in there with the goal of just "getting the trophy", you're missing the point. Sparring has great physical benefits- enhancing timing, angles, speed, reflexes, getting your muscle memory right, etc. But I doubt that a fast reverse punch will be all you need to save yourself on the street, and usually, a fast reverse punch will win a tournament. I 100% agree with the statement about not feeling great if I win and feeling horrible if I lose. Although I enjoy sparring with a lower belt, it still feels bad when I get scored on by one! Especially when I know that I could have easily dispatched them "on the street" using techniques that I can't use in sparring. It gives them a false sense of accomplishment as well- they just scored on a black belt, so they should be able to do that to anybody on the street. However, I could have easily absorbed the strike to my body and got inside and applied a choke or throw. So I may have lost a "point", but I could have easily taken the fight. That's when I believe that competitions give a false sense of the effectiveness of our arts.

For me, it has been my physical limitations affecting my training. I just turned 40, and I've always been pretty coordinated and athletic. However, I've had a bad knee for years now, and it has affected my ability to perform certain techniques as well as I would like to. Also, my flexibility is an issue. I believe that this is more problematic than my knee. If I were more flexible, I would be able to do more.

3-4 times a week in class, and a few hours a week on my own.

Prayers and thoughts to you and everyone affected.