AdamKralic

One thing at a time... Zach slide sides...if misses...fade into spin back kick? (as a counter for an opponent that comes after your technique drops) Or use a spin back offensively? Hook kicks to the head I was considering as that is her major opening with a rigid guard like she holds. Zach can do all the kicks ON A DUMMY at home practice...and do them to the level one would need for them to be usable in fights...but well it's like you said previously...we need to work them into sparring practice regularly. The spin back kick and hook kicks are most ready for this on Zach now imo. His lead roundhouses work...but it's sooooo overused by opponents of his level...I'd just as soon have it as a "as needed basis" The back roundhouse of his is workable as well and that we have been leaking into fights more and more. I'm going for atleast once per match he should do a front fake, back roundhouse, hammerfist rev punch combo. I love it very much for him. Especially as they'd have to respect his front foot as that is his bread and butter. Thanks.

Zach is biting on same carp in this vid too. Fighting this girl will be a wonderful thing for my son imo. She is the first opponent that has a real counter rev punch that Zach has faced. I've watched a lot of adults...that nice counter rev is usually what separates the men from the boys.

The tourney fight. (Zach is in white) The last fight of the Sunday practice between Zach (12) and a 17 year old young woman who is heading off to AKA Grand Nationals in 2 months. Both fighters were tired at this point. Zach lost 3 out of 4 against her...but I liked a lot of what he did. He was looser than he was in tourney even though he was going against better competition. I've watched the practice a few times...she is better mentally than my son by a lot. She waited. She conserved. I still think Zach can take her. ;P He needs to stop her bull rush with rev punch and not get into her zone w/o connecting. (She has a quality counter rev punch) I'll post another practice clip later... But all thoughts and ides are very much wanted. Zach has had many, many instructors...and there is a tiny portion of all of them in his growing ability to fight.

I will if you'll comment on what you'd work on to get better. Deal? I'll post a "Random recent fights for Zach" thread or something. I'll put the tourney fight and two practice clips in there. I've watched the practice clips a few times. I have ideas on how to eliminate a few of her favorite things...but man o man I am the most open to suggestion on planet Earth. Heck I've got a minute...I'll throw up 2 of the fights right now. (I still have one to be downloaded/converted yet)

Thanks again for the input and the well wishes n whatnot. Next up turned out to be the very next day. My personal favorite instructor for my son is that gentleman that I showed the pic of with all his families' trophies. He teaches the national touring team. Haven't seen him all summer as that seems to be a bit of a dead time for the team. Anyhoot...he was the ref in the ring next to Zach's ring for that Sat. tournament. After the fight he said that he wanted to get the national team practices going again on Sundays. So we all went there and Zach got to fight a assistant instructor from a different school that is gearing up for AKA Grand Nationals in 2 months. Considering that he is 12 and a brown belt w/stripe and she is 17 and a 2nd degree blackbelt...I was EXTREMELY proud of my son in that practice. She beat him in 3 out of 4 fights...but that is exactly what he needs. Hard to teach off of a victory without sounding nit picky. Heck I have a few of their fights on "tape"...as I said more proud of those that his victory on Sat. I should post a fight or two from Sunday practice. Do not know what event we are specifically training for though. Just know that there are atleast 7 more team practices to get this girl ready for her show.

idk...I really do respect Jean Claude Van Damme... Methinks there needs to be all of the above option! 'Cause they all sound great.

Nail<----Head. That's exactly it.

Wow. Not quite was I was expecting; but it was a very entertaining video for sure. Just out of curiosity, what were you expecting? I have heard of Dog Brothers a lot, and I think they would be fun to train with. I'd like to get a bit more weapons experience in before jumping into something like that, though. A hit...then a break...a hit...then a break....etc. That was more realistic than I was expecting.

Thanks again guys. He won 1st place in the tournament today. The fight wasn't really that interesting so I'm not going to post it but we set up a basic plan that he basically stuck to. Press early to get up and then eat clock with circles and d sides. He won 6 - 3 buuuut there was only three fighters in his division and they gave my son a bye in round one. I would've preferred more fights as the first always feels like a warmup. Plus our basic strat was based upon having at least three fights. I wanted him to conserve energy...but with only one fight...the plan was kind of a waste.

THIS is why I ask here. Thank you DWx and Nidan Melbourne. I do sideline coach occassionally. Mostly in practices though...I was actually thinking that it was bad to do so. He looks to me too frequently. I felt thusly that he wasn't developing enough on his own. BUUUUUTTTTT...man he'll do anything you say...anything at all and do it instantly...so sideline coaching him is always very tempting to a person like myself. This upcoming tournament though is a low level one. It's closed and they are very strict about matching by belt/age/size. (there are about 5 schools involved that are all within one company so to speak) He absolutely should dominate. I have a perhaps unfair advantage in that I know exactly how they are taught to fight. They "joust" (come straight at each other) The only straight attacks I want out of my son are side kick to the chest spam to push them to edge of ring.

Do you go into a fight mentally telling yourself you will do move A. Then move B. Then move C? I ask as I work with my son a lot...and I've noticed that he keeps defaulting to what he considers the safest way to fight when the stakes get higher. Problem is his idea of safest is based off of 2 moves. 1) stopping any attack with front hand (pass through/block style) and then blitzing over the top as soon as he sees a person backing up. He's fast enough to make it work...but the defense against what he's doing is quite common...a d side. Heck he has a NASTY d side himself. 2) Tossing up one side kick to get them to go back and then blitzing over it. He had his last sparring practice before a tournament last night. He stayed in his default all practice despite us discussing that he needed to mix it up while staying within a limited group of moves. He knows how to circle and blitz off of it. Better than every other kid I've ever seen in any of the dojos we went to...buuuuutttttt... He also can slide kick far enough to hit off "fight" or he can spam a sidekick at chest level...then raise to head level when at range to actually hit...solid balance and speed...buuuuuuutttttt.... Rare that he does those things in tournaments. ARRRGGGHHHH. Can you tell me how you would get that into a student's head? That he has tools that are very effective...that he's leaving in the tool box unused? Practice (physical) ideas and mental ideas all wanted and greatly appreciated.

Put me in the "contact is important" camp. Even if it means taking a occasional hard shot. Nothing teaches faster than pain. It's why we can feel pain in the first place! To immediately tell you *no. not that. do not repeat that mistake.* Be it touching a hot plate or leaving too large of an opening for too long in karate.

You're welcome. You are underestimating what you ARE learning. You are learning to deal with an opponent. That's huge. Fight more. As Wastelander mentioned...do a tournament. They are often. Most are open to all who want to attend. All have rules posted that you can go over well in advance of the tournament date. They will make you a better fighter both in the dojo and in that "one bad day" street fight. You will be very nervous in all of those situations. The tournament will help you learn how to deal with nervous energy...in a safe environment.

Well a broad overall look at fighting here are some ideas to chew on: 1. The aggressor wins most fights. 2. You do not have to go backwards to avoid attacks...vastly superior is going left or right. Run backwards while a friend runs forward. Race to a finish line. Who wins? You will ALWAYS lose if you just go backwards. Same in fighting. 3. Practice defensive side kicks. They can be brought up fast to "bail you out" of a guy who has gotten past your comfort zone, they can be combined with a step back (fade) to give you more time to execute properly or even combined with a step back and to the left/right for a angle fade sidekick. 4. Wild techniques are easy to beat if the fighter is disciplined. I've seen one fighter that literally leaped in the air towards my son with his fists windmillig whilst in the air. My son defensive sick kicked him while he was airborne...it took him awhile to recover his breath. You're totally right, now for the following reasons: 1. This is indeed right, I tend not to want to be aggressive as it will lead to an actual fight which isn't what karate is about. It's about self-control, but not defending myself with the proper techniques, and being an aggressor is the issue. If I defended myself with the proper techniques, while being an aggressor, it would be perfect. 2. While we practiced, we practiced going to the side. I apparently forgot all of it while being in an actual fight. My fault of course, but to my defense, there were people around us and more space going backwards, than to the side. 3. But wouldn't this be too aggressive considering that he is inexperienced and would be kicked directly in the head? For some reason, he never blocks attacks, he goes directly into them. I know it's a bad excuse, but trying to be fair here. 4. Yes, discipline it is. Now my second question is: Is there any way I can practice karate at home without equipment? I only have the gloves, I have nothing to punch to other than a pillow. I usually practice kata at home, but it would be convienent to spare with something a little harder than a pillow, I just dont have the money to afford it. Thank you for your great advice, it really made my day . 1b. A well placed attack WILL be control. Your control. Of that fight. You should never have to kick "as hard as you can" Focus on speed. Fast kicks. Fast punches. Fast everything. You are there to not just learn defense...but to learn offense as well. 2b. If you bump into someone...so be it. You HAVE to learn left and right movement. There is no other way. You cannot fight in a straight line unless you have a significant height/reach advantage. 3b. You are learning how to fight...not knit a sweater. HE will change HIS tactics if he eats your foot. BELIEVE IT. Look at it this way: Are you giving HIM the best training by not doing everything in your power to win? No. You are failing him by not going all out. He is lesser for it. Buy a used kick shield from your dojo. Ask them if they'd sell the most beat up one they have. That will be good to work with someone else holding the pad for you. You can always work on footwork with no equipment whatsoever. Circular movement, angles, bouncing...etc.

Well a broad overall look at fighting here are some ideas to chew on: 1. The aggressor wins most fights. 2. You do not have to go backwards to avoid attacks...vastly superior is going left or right. Run backwards while a friend runs forward. Race to a finish line. Who wins? You will ALWAYS lose if you just go backwards. Same in fighting. 3. Practice defensive side kicks. They can be brought up fast to "bail you out" of a guy who has gotten past your comfort zone, they can be combined with a step back (fade) to give you more time to execute properly or even combined with a step back and to the left/right for a angle fade sidekick. 4. Wild techniques are easy to beat if the fighter is disciplined. I've seen one fighter that literally leaped in the air towards my son with his fists windmillig whilst in the air. My son defensive sick kicked him while he was airborne...it took him awhile to recover his breath.

Awesome!

My two cents is that one can talk one out of sticky situations 99/100. If it's a robbery...I'd give them what they wanted w/o hesitation while explaining that I probably don't have a whole lot more than they do to be honest. In the instance where it looks like it'll all go to shiite no matter what? I'd hope to be faster than them. If I move first...odds are in my favor.

Thanks guys. One of Zach's trainers has them do squats on their heels (toes off floor) so as to make sure the center of balance/pressure is off the knees. Also Zach does a lot of jumping type exercises that (I believe...please correct me if I am wrong) do more for the "outer" muscles of the thigh. Stuff like reaching for ceiling and jumping up n down in a rapid succession. Box Jumps. Feet together and jumping back and forth sideways. We added lying on back with knees bent up while holding a medicine ball between knees and squeezing it. Will add some lunges. We did do squats with weights before...hmmm we stopped because my bench is in a different location from where we workout. I'll have to google dumbell squats.

I of course did not mean to insult big people. I wasn't even thinking of weight when I posted it...merely height. Often when Zach and I train I reference basketball players. EX: As a Chicago Bulls fan Joakim Noah is my favorite Bull. For a center he's very fast, very coordinated, very hard working and has as great of a will to win as one could hope for. Every team in the NBA would be happy with a player like Joakim. But in a race of one step or a race or a 1/4 mile...Derrick Rose would destroy Joakim in the speed department. That is even more true when you take a average speed center and compare them to an average speed guard. The guard wins 100% of the races. Zach and I work on that one step speed that Derrick is so famous for. Going from zero to Gawd Dang in one step. Also remember that these people that I refer to are children and not adults. Tall children have never had to rely on speed...they are big. Being big has helped them tremendously in most athletic endeavors. In karate however a small fighter can beat a tall fighter...over n over n over again too. Two reasons: speed AND the tall child has a massive target zone while the small one has a small zone that is far away from the tall child's "comfort area." You combine all that with the fact that my son is very disciplined with a perfectly sideways stance and a extended guard...well 99% of the taller fighters that MY son faces...are at a big disadvantage before the fight even starts. I have seen one tall, fast, coordinated fighter. He is 18 or 19 though. Ross Cooke. He is now on Team USA. He has every unfair advantage you can name. He can slide axe kick across a ring. He has that very quick first step. He is tall and has a huge reach. He is strong. I am glad that he is much older than my son. I would not like to have to train my son to beat him as it'd be next to impossible. If I did though? It be to get inside Ross instantly and throw that reverse punch combo as fast as you could. Maybe one could score some points in that way.

Title says it all...need a more solid horse stance plus the more important overall balance of the muscles. I imagine doing more horse stance in and of itself would help...what else?

have you ever tried partner sit ups? You and your partner are both on your backs facing opposite ways. Legs are bent as normal and feet interlock with your partners calves. (they do same to you) You sit up at same time and clap hands with each other at the top of the situp. To me it seems both harder and easier...harder in that you tend to go a bit faster and you have to keep legs locked...easier in that someone else is kind of giving you motivation to go at a certain pace.

A defensive side kick with a fade or a angle fade is a pretty crucial "trick" to have in your bag. Nothing and I mean nothing stops a bull faster than eating a side kick that they are running full speed into.

Turning your back to run away is like getting naked in front of everyone at the tournament: it should NEVER be done. A good fighter will plow you over...LITERALLY.

Well that point is what is up: His wife won't let him keep them all. (I'd imagine they take up an entire room rendering it unusable...so she has a point) He said that he is keeping the eagles (on the table) and the 6' trophies. As to the rest? IDK. He posted it on facebook and several people suggested in dojo tourneys to win some of them. Personally? I kinda of find that to be too much reward for too little effort. But what else can be done with them?

This is the coach of the AKA National Karate team. (Chicago) Cardal Price. His entire family is into karate and are all fantastic at it. He is a ten time CONSECUTIVE national champion, both his teenage sons have been national champions as well. All three (Cardal, Zion and Carson) have worked with my son a lot and have made Zach WORLDS better than he was. Truly a inspirational family of karate artists if there ever was one: Enjoy. http://www.akagenc.com/images/trophies.jpg