delta1

Yeah, those guys usually get found out. I bet more than one computer whizz has checked to see if we're really 'drunkensevenwarlock1'. Come to think of it, is it possible that I/we are schitzo?

Because, you roll on the floor and twist things. Wait,... You're not suggesting..., you're saying I might be..., but that's..., you... What I'm saying is that I am more likely to hit a general target when aiming for a specific one than you are the reverse. If not, do what you can. It's just an option- maybe it's there, maybe it isn't. Boxers and others do this all the time. If an uppercut misses the solar plexus because he moved, the minor changes to the strike to hit the rib cage are automatic. Not as effective asthe original target, but as you said, you wear him down a little. Really sad, when you think about it!

Good points. And you're not too far wrong, actually. If ican't get a good shot at a more effective target, I can strike general targets as well. They may open up a shot at a better target. And if I aim at a knee and only get a leg, I still got the leg, so what have I lost? Sometimes you may have to just react and won't be able to et a good strike in. But why train to do that every time? We train to increase our skill and our options. Boxers don't just throw punches and hope they land. They try for specific targets. And it is true that they don't allways get that target. But they are fighting a trained fighter who is about their size and skill level, and about as tough. Far diiferent than a street tough who was probably depending more on surprise and intimidation than real skill. Or say an angry coworker that takes a awing at you. Or a crazed grappler that throws a wold flurry of punches at you in hopes of hitting you (or more likely setting you up to go down- the @#^*'s). In my view, they are interdependant. This discussion is sort of what I had in mind, getting viewpoints from different styles and people on how they relate, and where your focus is, It's interesting, and probably predictable after reading WW's thesis, that someone who is primarily a grappler would focus more on power, even in his striking. And my focus on accuracy may be one reason I get destroyed on the ground- ok, that and the fact I'm not that good at ground fighting. Any how, good discussion, 7. But over 200 views and onlt 20 some odd replies? There has to be more viewpoints than just ours!

Ah, ok. Thanks for the clarification.

Both. You have to hit the right thing the right way to get the right results.

No, just improving my odds. I disagree here (not just playing devils advocate now). Aiming your strikes doesn't guarantee a hit, but I think it is obviouse that it radically improves your chances of hitting what you want. Sometimes the case, but you commit the falacy of exclusion here- there are many more types of fights than brawling for your life. And, even in a brawl, it is possible to create an opening or take advantage of one that occurs. Maybe, anything can happen. The point is that an accurate strike to a vulnerable area increases your chances of comeing out on top- especially in the case of fighting a larger opponent. If, as you say (and I agree), "size means plenty," then you need something in your arsenal to offset that advantage. Instinctive accuracy and target selection is one of those tools. Of course your power is a factor, but not the only one. And I wouldn't try to hit your throat if your chin is tucked. But I would try a good hammerfist to your bai * cavity, which you have just so cooperatively put at the perfect range and angle of incidence for me. Thanks! I'll take it! No, I don't have the same chance of hitting your skull if I aim for your temple, because I can still control and adjust or change my strike. penetration will depend on a lot of things: power, true enough speed, both as a component of power and in its own rite target and weapon selection and configuration accuracy angle of incidence of the strike in some cases, the relative fitness of your opponent proper form and technique and probably many others that my somewhat fogged brain doesn't recognize This bunch? Naahhh! Good discussion, though. Glad to have opinions from you mud rollers!

A-S-P (credit Mr. Chuck Sullivan with the acronym.) Accuracy, speed, and power- in that order (my opinion, just to be fair here). You have to be accurate enough to hit the right thing the right way to maximize effect and protect yourself from accidental dammage. Speed is essential to get past his defenses to the tearget you've so accurately struck at before it moves too far. Speed is also a major component of power in a strike. Power is important, but is enhanced tremendously by accuracy and speed.

OK. An accurate strike can't take out a larger opponent? Temple, groin, knee, bai hui cavity,...? So, aim for a small target, and if you miss you still hit him. Targets can't be opened up, or set up? So it comes down to whether you wear him down before he gets in an accurate strike, or wears you down. Sounds like he has the edge. Watch boxers gloves protect the boxers hands from strikes that, if landed on the street, might seriously dammage their hands. Like I said, no wrong answers, just a lot of questions!

You don't think you could build speed? Or learn to enhance it by inducing a flinch or the use of an obscure zone? How does speed help if you very quickly miss your target, or just tag it lightly?

And just how am I supposed to say anything to that? Good job- except that 'i' should be capitalized when talking about yourself!

And what happens when you hit the * in a hard part of his anatomy and break your fist?... or don't nail him good but give him an extended arm and your momentum?... or he eats the pain then eats your lunch?

There are no wrong answers, since I asked for an opinion. But I'm going to play devils advocate. I agree, so it is difficult to critique this one. But, wouldn't it be possible that speedand/or power could open these targets up for you? How does that effect the preeminance of accuracy?

If you are like me, you'll be doing good to retain 1/4 of what you learn there. Ask if he'll allow vou to videotape the seminar. Well worth the trouble if he says yes. It is also posiible that someone else is videotaping, and you can corroborate to get different views of the seminar and copy tapes. Any way, sounds like fun! Enjoy, and let us know how it goes. Also, feel free to post any 'secrets'!

Welcome, you!

If it is American Kenpo, most systems use the following rank designations: 1st Junior Instructor 2nd Associate Instructor 3rd Head Instructor 4th Senior Instructor 5th Associate Proffessor 6th Proffessor 7th Senior Professor 8th Associate Master of the Arts 9th Master of the Arts 10th Senior Master of the Arts If you earn a black belt, you are a 1st Degree and your title would be Junior Instructor. At three years, you would in most systems be eligable to test for 2nd Degree Associate Instructor, but it isn't automatically awarded for time in.

Yes! To add to that, you have to practice awareness- what Taiji calls 'living in your body'. Most of us go about our lives in a dream world, experiencing very little either externally or internally. Start developing an internal awareness, be consciouse of your body and how each component feels. As you become more aware, you'll probably find that the slouch is actually uncomfortable. A good exercise is a simple meditation. Stand in a horse stance, feeet just slightly more than shoulder width. Toes point forward, knees out and bent so they are just over the toes- but NOT past the toes. Tuck your tail bone slightly, but not so much the pelvis is thrust forward. Let your arms hang at your side, shoulders relaxed and rounded. Now, straighten your backbone naturally, head erect and chin slightly tucked, eyes facing forward. Your spine should feel like a stack of dinner plates, totally self supporting. Now, clear your mind and start to inventory your body for tension. Start at the top of the head and work down, focusing on each major muscle group. As you find tension, allow it to relax. Don't try to force it, as this will only build tension. Allow it to relax. Only the muscles in your buttox and legs that are required to support your posture should have tension. Do this inventory several times, each time focusing on smaller muscle groups. Allow your weight to settle in, you'll feel like you are being pressed into the ground. Now, without comeing up and destroying this rooted sensation, immagine a bunjee chord attached to the top center of your head, gently pulling you upward. You should feel a stretching sensation in your spine. Hold this posture. This will develope posture, and the small muscles that are actually used to maintain it. It also is a good exercise to teach relaxation. But mostly it teaches what good posture is, and how it feels. It is the first step toward actually 'living in your body'.

Power Accuracy Speed Which do you think is more important? Why?

Sparing with ground option against someone who knows what they are doing can be a truly humbling experience. But I've seen very few people who could get joint locks in contact sparing. How did you find it- relatively easy or difficult?

We're all cool here! (Well, almost all of us ) Welcome.

There's truth there in what you say. As usual, the truth lies somewhere between the extremes. I suspect both had a lot to do with it- from what this kid said, the other guy was a mess. I do, including my steel toed boots or anything else I commonly wear. And I can tell you that timeing, traction, mobility, ... everything changes a little bit. Maybe for some. But I can say with authority gained from bitter experience that sparing with contact is a good way to get your ego deflated too. And I never said you or anyone is wasteing their time. This kid came out on top of a bad situation with his no contact skills. My only point is that if you want to improve your chances in self defense situations, you might want to consider training some with contact. We do tend to drift to extremes when arguing a point! Working the bag is good, but it doesn't work the distancing, angles and targeting on a moving, resisting opponent. No contact will do some of this, but contact does more. The good thing about a bag is you can hit it harder than your training partner, even if you are doing 'full' contact. I don't look down on, or denigrade those who don't do contact. Some people can't afford to- they need healthy hands for their jobs, or have medical conditions, or just don't want to. Heck, I'm getting to the point that I can't do as much any more. Also, all contact training is done with control, and no one goes out every day and trains hard contact. Common sense and moderation are the order with contact training, just like everything else. But the topic is contrasting effectiveness of the methods of training (even if it was presented a little in your face), and that is my opinion. I can agree to disagree, especially since I don't disagree with you totally. Like I said earlier, it is a matter of degrees of preparedness, and we all have to decide how we want to prepare- or for some even if it is an issue.

I'd like to go back a few posts and answer something that has been bothering me: First, you are pulling those punches so as not to hurt your opponent. But, even if they land, they are not going to do seriouse dammage. TSG's ribs may be sore, and it may have hurt at the time even. But that is a totally different situation to being in a real fight with the adrenalin flowing and your focus on surviving and destroying your opponent. In a real fight, you wouldn't even feel that shot until much later, probably after the shakes settle down and you start to inventory yourself for dammage. Doing no contact, that is the point of reference you are training, to do minimal dammage at full range of motion. There is a big difference in tagging someone hard and hitting him with the intent to take his head off. The first just makes him angry, the second momentarily stuns him so that he doesn't even see your follow up strike comeing. I'm not saying here that no contact has no value. But it can develope bad habbits, and it does not develope some critical skills for reality situations. You need to periodically fight with contact to develope the timeing, awareness of distance and relative angles, develope your defenses as well as in close weapons, learn to move and check in close... . I just did a light workout with a high school kid that has only ever done no contact sparing. Fortunately, it was continuous sparing. He told me of an experience he recently had- he was cought in a lot by a punk (and everal of this guys friends) who had been harassing him. They fought, and he destroyed the guy, technically. The punk was a bloody mess, and this guy was hardly touched. But he just couldn't put the punk away. He's built like a tank, so he finally just threw the punk down and went into ground-n-pound mode, at which time the punks friends steped in. He was lucky, they didn't pulverize him, but just stoped the fight. Point is, this kid should have been able to KO the punk with a good jab, let alone all the shots he landed. But, they were ineffective, because his point of reference was out at no contact range. He didn't really hurt the punk until he closed the gap and bounced him off the pavement, then sat on him and delivered a lot of force to the target. Oh, the reason I met this kid- he was at my brothers. He wants to start doing contact training.

Yes, it works. But Kano proved that a few techniques learned under force are better than many learned without it. And, I have also had to subdue violent patients useing non-destructive techniques. White Warlock is correct, it is a different environment and situation altogether to a sudden, violent assault. Taiji is another art that is done slowly, repetitively, and generally with little force. And it is effective. But, it too is more effective if you take the time to work through the applications, and the effort to test them under force. And, if you've ever seen someone get carried away with push hands- it can get ugly! That's what happens when you get a few externally oriented, competitive ( ! )'s doing the 'gentle' arts.

Could ya run that by me again...? Just kidding! You make some good points. I would point out, though, that the early UFC's were dominated by grapplers because the strikers did not know how to handle their attacks. Now that strikers are training to defend takedowns, or even cross training, the grapplers are having a tougher time of it. That and some rule changes. As I said, sport is sport, and self defense is something else.

Ooohhhhh! I don't even want to THINK about that! If all we did was drills, you'd have a point to go with those shorts! But, no, it isn't the closest thing to real life. I'd say some of the dirty, gritty, hard hiting, short adrenal stress reality courses are the closest.

Tae Bo is mainly for fitness, and can develope bad habbits for self defense. Again, shop around. Some schools will let the students determine the level of contact, to a degree. And very few will push a student past what they can handle. The good ones will push your comfort zone, but they don't try to hurt or intimidate their students. See if she's willing to try a few, she might find she likes it.