delta1

No Problemo. Everyone makes mistakes, except me- right? Sure!

Elvis Presly and Ed Parker were friends, and Mr Parker also did some security for Elvis. Elvis studied American Kenpo, and at one time had a Kenpo crest on his guitar. Ed Parker sent Elvis to train with a karate school taught at an Army base before he'd promote him to Black Belt. That group trained hard contact with no safety equipment, and Mr Parker knew that unless Elvis passed the muster with a group like that, everyone would say he got his rank because he was a celebrity. Elvis passed with flying colors. I don't know how high he got, though. The story used to be on the Tracy's Kenpo site, but I don't have the link any more. You could do a search if interested.

Whatever the situation calls for, but I'd rather parry or avoid. If I move, even something like a vertical outward block becomes more of a parry or a check, especially since I don't do this as a hard block. I bring it up and torque my arm back into a double bone block right by my face, like the boxers guard/block. I like upward elbows in close also. They can be a check, cover, parry, block, and/or strike.

You might look at some of the kenpo/kempo styles, as they generally combine the hard style you are used to with the softer moves, and all with flow. Taiji is another good option if you want to make a complete change. Any way you go, but especially if you choose one of the CMA styles, you would have to learn a whole new way of moving. Your current studies and conditioning will help. But you will have to learn to loosen up. Weight transfer and distribution, ballance, power generation, ... there are a lot of differences.

A front kick to the face will not stop his momentum, and you'll be more likely to get a knee shot in than a kick, which means he's about to bowl you over backwards no matter how hard you hit him. Knock him unconscious, and you're still going over unless you deal with the momentum or redirect. I actually used the old roll and leg toss method when I was in school, but I don't think I'd want to depend on it. As for jumping over him, I've never trained for attacks on a trampoline, but... . If his head is down, you are half way to where you want to be to start with. Put both your hands on top/back of his head to slow his momentum, and redirect the rest to the pavement. Sidesteping is good, but you can also step back and to one side with your near hand placed top/back of his head to control his momentum and direction (to an extent). Then as you turn, attack him with kicks and strikes. If he got an arm on you, an elbow break works good here. Even if you don't get the break, the undererhook can be used to put him where you want him. The wrestlers cross face and sprawl works good if he's on you too quick for the other moves. Main thing is not to get set back on your heels. Another in close check is to drop both elbows to block at his shoulders, then grab the back of his neck and pull down as you lay your chest on top of him and kick your feet out, spining to the side for position. Even if he does get his arms around you, get those feet back out wide and lay on top of him. Ask the grapplers, I bet they can give you volumes on defending the 'football charge'. But if you havn't tried it under force, you'll probably do something silly and end up flat of your back. Heck, I thought I had one of the sorry buggers once, and he put some kind of flying guard and headlock on me. I didn't football charge him, but I made the mistake of bending forward to grab him. Silly me! I was had before we hit the ground.

Oh, right, just rain on my parade!

Biggest one I see is assumptions. Includes: overestimating or underestimating either yoursef or your opponent. Unrealistic ideas about what the arts will do for you, or won't, for that matter. Ideas about other arts based on hearsay, national origin, prejudices of yourself or others you talk to (a real bigie). The idea yours is best, because you think yours is best. Thinking everyone wants the same things out of the martial arts. Thinking that because it worked on a compliant partner with a standardized attack it will work in a real situation. Thinking that when people find out you are a martial artist, you automatically get respect, or they think you are bad. The list could go on forever, and you can develope it any way you want. But, especially for new people, and often for new blackbelts, making assumptions has to be the biggest, most common pitfall I've seen. And, I've made my share of assumptions, and gotten my comeuppances more than once because of it.

I'm not. I study Taiji, and my base is American Kenpo, which is primarily of Chinese origins. But this statement lead me to answer based on primarily Japanese style availability. He doesn't want the same thing out of the arts I do, and I don't have any problem with that. I just geared my advice to what he (or she, guess I really don't know) wants and his situation at the present.

AK rules! It's sort of like 'English as a Second Language' class while you get the terminology down, but a lot easier than learning 3 terms for everything, in three different languages. Someone once asked my Logic proffessor why we had to learn the names of logical fallacies in Latin. He replied "Because one of the things we teach you here is to become an arrogant (donkey), and the best way to do that is to make you learn Latin!" Sometimes, I think the martial arts takes the same philosophy. Seriously, this thread is interesting to me since a.) our grappling guru left, and b.) I'm making use of my downtime to bother people here and make training equipment. Right now, I'm making another stand up dummy. But I'm thinking about making a grappling dummy out of some coveralls and carpet strips/rolls. I was thinking about some static training with ground moves (better than nothing, till I get a live partner that will work grappling a little). But this idea of resistance bands and training for throws intrigues me. I could make the dummy to strap to posts with heavy bunjees, or to free hang from a gantry or even a truss. Any suggestions on making the dummy, mounting it, what to work with it and how to work it, or anything else, would be greatly appreciated.

We used to stack cinder blocks on end, climb up and do drills. Also, stand blocks around the floor and spar, moving only block to block. I think most arts do some kind of stance training- even some of the short reality courses do stance and footwork drills for warm up and exercise.

"Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, 'What's in it for me?'" -- Brian Tracy Spounds like your instructor has this down. And, with people of his character, giving back to others is often better than giving to him. Churches are allways having work days, and one good way to honor your instructor is to make sure your school is allways well represented there. There's always 'the greater glory' as well, but you can honor both. And most churches teach that serving others is serving God (at least those that aren't cults). Any way, just some thoughts. Sounds like you have a good instructor, class, and school.

I agree with the rest. Look around for a good school in your area. Learning another martial art right now may not be what you want, but you are young and have time later to do that. Right now, lay a foundation. Learning another art will still work on mind and spirit, teach you to focus, train your body to move in ways that are at this point foreign to you. Most of all, it will train you to learn. It will also get you involved with the martial arts community, expose you to what all is out there. You'll make contacts and friends that may be helpful later. You'll get an idea how to judge schools and styles, so that later on you can pick one that offers what you want. No training is wasted, but time can be. Some ideas for schools: TKD- seems to be a TKD school just about everywhere, and it has a heavy Japanese influence. Any Japanese school, since that is what you are drawn to. Tai Chi Chuan- absolutely don't overlook this one if it is available. It's Chinese, but it will improve any art you study, now or later. And if self developement is your thing, it will get you started on the internal path, and in time can take you farther than any other art I know. Reality arts, not the first choice since they don't seem to be your thing. But if that is all you find, you'll still get a lot of the bennifits you want, and learn to work under pressure as well. And last, but by no means least, since you are still in school you have access to many sports programs. They are an excellent start, especially wrestling, boxing, gymnastics, even ball players and runners. Sports have a lot in common with martial arts training, and school programs are relatively inexpensive. You are on the right track, wanting to get started early in life. But don't get discouraged if you can't start out exactly like you want. You have many options to lay a foundation for later. Set your goals, and work within the limmits of availability to start accomplishing those goals. Good luck!

That makes you fairly unique, these days. Good advice, though he might be a little uncomfortable with the 'Karate Kid' approach, at least initially. You guys might start with school work days, cleaning an fixing up the school. Maybe chip in and buy some equipment, or improve his office if you want to make it more personal. Start a fund for a library and video equipment, then let him selecct what to purchase. I train Kenpo with a small group, and the only fees 'fees' are the shared cost of private instruction and when we need equipment or supplies. Everyone chips in, and if you leave anything purchased with communal funds stays with the group. We also share our own resources. We welcome other stylists that want to train with us, and we'll learn from them, but we mostly keep it Kenpo. I guess we are fairly unique, though I've met others in similar circumstances.

Here is a related thread: http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=12769 I just opened it on the Combative forum. I thought we could get more input there on the topic of reality training.

There has been some discussion on the Korean Martial Arts forum, TKD in particular, about training to use your skills. These guys do a fair job of assesing training methods: http://cruciblegym.tripod.com/philosophy.htm They use the term 'aliveness' to describe training for reality. Go down the page and select Aliveness Video Clip -- The Foundational Principle. It's interesting. Here's the link to the thread I was particularly referencing: http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=12741 I want to re-emphasize that I'm not putting down anybodies school, style, or reason for taking martial arts. But I do think we do ourselves a disservice if we don't train realistically then expect what we do to work under the fast, brutal, and downright scary conditions of a real assault.

I'd keep my base in American Kenpo- it's versatile, adaptable, effective. I'd love to be able to add BJJ to that, but I just have to get my grappling when and where I can. Taijichuan-fa, adds immensely to any art you do. Modren combatives, reality and stress training in h2h, knife and firearms, with a lot of realistic scenarios. I prefer the WWII combatives based arts here as they are simple, brutal, and not a lot of fluff. For fun and effectiveness, a good FMA, Silat, WC, Aiki-Jutsu, ..., Ninjitsu might be fun (lot of great toys), ..., training with LEO's, high level security, and others who use their skills, ...there's just so much out there!

...To a special group of people! That would be anyone that does any martial arts and stays with it. Right now, I'm sitting around waiting for a prospective new student, who's almost an hour late; and experience tells me that from the time he said he'd come there's only a 1 in 10 chance he will. Odds are less than that he'd stay with it if he did. Let me explain: I'm not an instructor of any martial art, but I live in a small town. For Kenpo I have to travel for private instruction, and there is a small group of us who train together and share costs for travel and class. That group varries in size from 2 to a max of 6 (3 at present), and we are allways on the lookout for new prospects. It is unreal how many people express an interest, then don't show. Worse, those that do show find out it is work, and they are gone. So, I'm sitting here thinking that those who do stick it out are a special bunch. Whether they compete, work out for health or self developement, or train for reality and self defense, they are a cut above the rest. So you guys all give yourselves a pat on the back- you deserve it!

All kinds of sparring are essential. I look at point sparing as a chance to work on entries, evasion, and the like. At the other extreme, hard contact is imperative to a reality martial artist. If your school is primarily a sport oriented school, the instep padding is good. They are concerned with scoreing points and protecting you from injuries in the meantime. If you are training to fight, they encourage bad habbits. Kick with the instep to a hard target and you'll likely break your foot. If your school is telling you they teach effective self defense, but spar only with light tournament rules, they are kidding you and themselves. Bashing your face into a wall- might toughen your face, but if you don't train to block with your face, what's the point? (I know, you were being sarcastic- but so am I )

Bag gloves- they're inexpensive and really save your hands. Like DrunkenMonkey said, if you are toughening your knuckles, punch slower and with good technique. Open wounds are not tough, so use the toughening exercises to work on technique. Then put on the gloves for a dynamic workout working on aim and relative angles.

Think maybe limmited rules competition is having an effect on the martial arts? Personally, I think the trend to more diversity is a good thing.

Best: carying around a duffle filled with semi-rigid heavy stuff. You can run, walk, climb, whatever, while throwing it around for a dynamic workout or just carrying it to isolate muscle groups. Worst: toss up between the couch and the remote. Also: body weight, though as my waist grows I'm thinking a nice light barbell sounds ok.

Actually, paranoia in the loose sense you use it here is highly underrated. Nothing wrong with awareness drills, or for that matter just being aware. And many people become aware of things as second nature. When I worked with hazardous materials, we were ALLWAYS aware of wind direction and changes. Firefighters tend to automatically get the lay of any structure they enter, and there are only two types of people that almost allways look up when they enter a building- architechts and janitors. Most people live their life in a fog, but those who need awareness and practice it just naturally see things the rest don't. Clinical paranoia is another matter. It is debilitating. An example, I just got back from the physical therapist. He worked on and manipulated my neck and head, and I had to be really relaxed while he did his thing. I think they trained these guys dureing the Spanish Inquisition, because it hurts like hades. Also, he could have snapped my neck with just a little more pressure, and often my airway was partially occluded. You have to trust someone implicitly to allow that kind of control. Now, I practice awareness, but no way could a true paranoid go through that. If I were truly paranoid, I'd just have to suffer with the injuries. In extreme cases, just the trip to the clinic would have been impossible, let alone the therapy. SO if you are out and about, and still able to trust some people, I wouldn't worry about being paranoid. You are just more awake than the average ding-bat.

Oh no!!! You mean I'... Never mind!

As for the argument about whether a person knows if he's being cut or stabbed, or even shot- sometimes. But I know, and know of more, people who've experienced this and did not know about it until after the fight was over. If you've been in a fight, you can understand that it doesn't really hurt 'till later. Your body has a lot of good mechanisms to deal with pain and debility and keep you going.

Both Jerry love and Sasori_Te make some good points here. But this is the one I want to comment on. I agree with the statement, as far as it goes. But you don't allways have to fire immediately. The trick is to not get into a mindset where you expect the gun to control things if you don't use it immediately. Your intention is to shoot if you pull the gun, but use a trigger (not the one under your finger), something that causes you to fire. Your target is aquired, and if he moves, you shoot. If you give a command and he does not comply, or does not do it how you think he should, you shoot. If you see a weapon, and he even looks like he's thinking of useing it, you shoot. If it's a gun, shoot. If he's invaded your space and shown intent to harm, shoot. There is no question, no hesitation. Sometimes, this trigger has already occured when the firearm is deployed and you shoot immediately. If you have the distance (read time), and the situation calls for it, you may change your aim point and wound. But be willing to kill if necessary. I don't hold with killing if it is at all avoidable, but sometimes the sure knowlege that you will do whatever is necessary, not the gun, is what saves the bad guys life by encourageing him to do as told.