delta1

Beka, and anyone else interested: Here's a link to another forum (Martial Talk) where I found an interesting thread just now. These guys sound like they know what they are talking about. Some really good information and good pointers there. I don't know anything about the posters other than what is in this thread, so I can't vouch for their experience. But I'm guessing that they are for real based on what they say here, especially Gaucho. http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12042 But, don't any of you clods go jumping ship to MT! I enjoy the more friendly atmosphere here. By the way, anyone know anything about Amok! (the system Gaucho practices)?

Yeah, I thought I'd found reverse once. Shocked the ____ out of me, 'till I figured out that I ws on the front fender, facing backwards. Sort of like the story Red Fox used to tellabout the cowboy that tied his horse up outside a bar,and when he came out found that some ____ had cut his horses head off. He rode it home, but he had to guide it all the way back with his finger stuck in its windpipe!

I would LOVE to study Silat, but the closest school is Qi Fighting Concepts over in Wenatchee with Sifu Joseph Simonet. He does Silat, Kempo, and Wing Chun; and his number two, Addy Hernandez, teaches Taiji. But it's just a little too far. So many arts, so little time, and I prefer to live as far away from it all as I can, so I'm probably doomed. On the other hand, as long as I can find someone to work out with AK, I can't complain.

Xtra Tribal, not to answer for Jerry (he's not shy about telling you himself ), but I think I know what he's alluding to here. The FMA's tend to take whatever you give them and work in. They pick you apart a piece at a time, but very rapidly. There's nothing wrong with this, unless it is all you can do. And too many schools/systems get hung up in that long range mindset. FMA's should generally work at largo (long), medio (medium), and corto (close) ranges. Some break it even farther down, but those are basic. Some also do stand up grappling (interesting with sticks or blades) and Fillipino ground fighting. The problem is the same one TKD has. When you major in kicks, even though there is short range attacks in the system, it is easy to get hung up on working at a distance. Problem is, fights tend not to stay there. Same with a blade- too easy to try to let it intimidate your opponent and keep him at bay- or as Jerry put it, trying to fence with it. Also, picking him apart piecemeal doesn't allways work to get you in close, and if the opportunity to go directly in and finish him is there, you should take it. The longer any fight goes, the more chance you will get hurt, especially with weapons. This is not the case with all schools, and there are more FMA systems than anybody knows, so this is by no means an absolute statement. And a lot depends on the fighter as well. Same as with TKD, some do go directly in close and thrive there, in both styles. But the tendency is to stay out and try to hurt him first, then work in. Problem is, what if he hurts you first?

I don't hide the fact that I practice martial arts, but I don't talk much about it either. I've been challenged, the last time at work when a co-worker was asking me for advice about enrolling his son in a TKD class. One of the young punks overheard, and had studied Shotokan, and wanted to try me. I let him go, as everyone thought he was a blowhard any how. As for getting the respect back, you can only really do that on an individual basis. Overall, the 'Iron Kim's', belt factories, and every yellow belt that has tried too soon to prove himself has given the martial arts a bad rep. Plus, we live in an increasingly more disrespectful society. Do away with the belt, do what you do, understand what you know, enjoy yourself and let the rest of the world go ... !

Try horses! And that danged headlight is like a magnet to the sorry beasts at night!

Yeah, I quit for a few years, and I've cut way back now. WHat's really bad is when you ride a rat, and you leave the first bar looking worse than the bike! Man, that's heaven! The road stretches forever, and a bike that has long legs! The wildlife I can handle, but the copps are a bummer sometimes. And, I've jumped out of planes. It's a rush, but nothing like the moment you know impact with an Oldsmobile is unavoidable. Still, given those two options, jump from a plane. But ride the bike to the jump center!

I've worked with them, and they are generally good. But I'd avoid those absolute statements. Some Kali systems tend to be headhunters, which can be an exploitable weakness. Many are not good once it gets in close, and some Kali people focus almost exclusively on longer bladed weapons. SO, as a blanket statement, I have to disagree. But if there is a Kali class nearby, by all means check it out- it is an excellent style for bladed combat, when taught correctly, especially with other FMA styles mixed in to address some of its' shortcomeings.

Yes, that's correct. Well, that is interesting, since Ed Parker also thought the FMA's were flawed (though he did respect them). I find the mix interesting, but I like to use AK's more direct aproach even with the sticks or blades.

Good advice, though I'd say learn both at the same time. If you are working with a partner, and you should be, then you'll get both sides any how. Again, the reality/combative arts are the quickest way to learn both. One word of caution here,I'd stay away from Krav Maga for knife work. They depend too much on trapping the knife hand or arm in the crook of their elbow- good way to get seriously cut. I'm not going to say you are wrong, since you are speaking here in very general terms. But I would like to make a couple of points: If you are talking about the typical ice pick attack where you wade in with an overhead strike, you are absolutely corect. But there are times you might use an overhead type attack- say after you've done a high 'block' (recieve his arm with your blade!), so you are in perfect position to drop your elbow and strike downward. Thrusts from a distance to keep him back can leave you exposed. But they can work for that purpose, as anyone who has spared with sticks can tell you. Thrusts as part of a coordinated assault are a good thing. Mix it up- all circular or all linear is more easily defeated. Even many slashes are done from a thrust, like rotating a punch. It is quicker, harder to defend, and leaves you less open than the arcing swing most people use. Some of the best targets are protected by the ribcage, and you have to thrust with the blade flat to get them. Ex: a thrust with a two inch blade under the arm pit and between the ribs will drop your opponent like a stone. Keep moving, but don't get into a pattern he can interpret and use against you. Use broken rythm, feignts, fast and slow. Be extremely relaxed, but alert- don't wear yourself out before you engage. Keep him at bay until you get position or he makes a mistake, but if he's that seriouse, he'll probably close with you. Be ready, and don't get into a defensive mindset. Once the knives come out, you have one purpose, and that is to destroy him. Your goal is survival, and that may mean he won't survive. Preparing your mind ahead of time is as important as the actual techniques. Excellent advice, and since your style is a Viet based system, I'd bet your instructor has some knowlege in this area. You'll find a lot of different theories and philosophies about knife fighting. Find someone who's been there and knows what it's like. For example, my Arnis instructor prefers to hold the knife out front allways and in a saber grip. I prefer the icepick grip, and my stance and guard changes continually. The saber grip gives you more reach and articulation. But it is less secure a grip, and leaving it out there can get it taken or controled. Consider that if you have to use it, your hands are going to be sweating. Anything that helps secure your hold on the weapon is a good thing, anything that doesn't is bad, in my opinion. And the ice pick grip makes use of coarse, basic motor skills and moves- which are all you'll have at this point. With a little practice, you'll be surprised at how versatile nad effective this grip is. One last thing- when useing any type of penetrating weapon, your targets are no longer on the surface. You need to be a student of anatomy now. Mossad Ayoob, one of the premier combat shooting instructors, put it this way; "The successful shooter looks at his opponent like he's looking at a cat scan." That applies to knives as well, maybe even more. You not only have to know where your target is from any angle, but a knife fighter has to be more concerned with bypassing structure to get there.

I'd look at some of the reality courses out there, especially the ones based on WWII combatives. American Kenpo translates its empty hands to knife work, and they have an excellent grasp of principles. So if you can find an instructor that will work with you, he might be able to help you make the transition. FMA's are primarily a weapons system, and their stick training translates directly to edged weapons. Any decent Arnisadore should be able to get you started. Books and videos are good to give another perspective. But I agree that your primary concern should be to get good, qualified personal instruction. Don't forget to work on your carry, and deployment under all conditions. Also, and especially since you are in Berkley, don't neglect to study the legal ramifications of carrying any self defense weapon. Good luck. I hope you never have to use your knife, but applaud you for having the sense and courage to prepare.

If it is cotton, it will shrink. A blend, it won't shrink much. Synthetic, probably not at all. I'm 5' 8", and I wear size 5. But different companies might size just a little different.

Cuong Nhu sounds interesting. I like the hard-soft approach. My base is American Kenpo, and we use both hard and soft in ballance. Ed Parker was also a student of Taiji, and incorporated some in AK. I'll have to keep a lookout for CN. I'd like to see it work and compare how it incorporates the diverse styles and principles. Thanks for the write up.

You mean, like, laying in the road, making gruesome noises, battered, broken, filthy, ... ? Actually, I allways rode rats, so we generally looked alike any how. I'll bet rideing in Australia is a kick- lots of space to really stretch your legs.

You'll find that here too. Glad you found KF- welcome aboard!

Beka, good to have you here. Cuong Nhu Can you tell us a little about the style? Good to have a variety of viewpoints at any rate. Welcome!

I've seen some JMA schools wear them like this, and the legs were almost up to the knees. How does the rest of the class wear theirs? I'd go with that, or ask your instructor.

Allways crazy, often cursed! Actually, I was just young enough to think I was invincable, and usually wasted. My brother says I'm an adrenalin junkey even now, so that probably didn't help then either. Yeah, and those same people don't understand why you do martial arts either, do they? Wrecks are not inevitable, but if you ride hard they are probable, and you might get hurt. Does it really matter? I read a quote somewhere recently (wish I'd had the sense to copy it, and if I remembered who said it I'd dang sure give them credit). Went something like: 'Life should not be lived as though you are trying to arrive safely at your destination. You should skid sideways into the final pit stop, battered and wrecked, and proclaiming loudly "Wow, what a ride!" ' Whoever said that had 'LIFE-DO' mastered. Edit: I liked that quote so much, changed my signature line. Only took about three tries- a computer geneouse I ain't.

Yup. Three Harley's and a couple of rice rockets. Wrecked every one of them, most more than once. My favorite was a '60 lower end with shovel uppers crammed into an old wishbone frame. Fat bobs, and a six over Springer front end that eventually got replaced with a wide glide. (Had to, I got drunk and twisted it up in Beckley's summer fallow, via the drainage ditch). It was a rat, and a real 'tractor'. The oil pressure gauge had a faded IH logo on it. If you scraped the paint on the linkages (actually, you just had to look where they were already scraped), you'd find John Deere green. A lot of the parts came from another of my bikes, a '75/74 (by then a basket). Some parts, like the shift arm, were forged in the shop. For a while I ran solid lifters brazed together from bar stock. Thing sounded like an old flathead when you fired it up. Those were the days... ! Yes. You'll probably pay for it later in life with aches and pains, but if you ask me, it's worth it. Enjoy! I still think about getting another Hog. Old Beckley used to have an Electraglide that he'd ride around on (at a more sedate pace than I was accustomed to), cigar clamped firmly in the right side of his mouth and a big grin plastered all over his face. We used to make fun of him, but now I'm thinking that doesn't sound too bad.

I'm going to have to cogitate on that one a while, and see if I can find someone who wants to work on it a little. Thanks for the info.

I can see how you would think of it that way when studying a traditional style primarily for reasons of self improvement. And most of us here would not laugh or sneer at anyone who studies 'the way'. You can ignore those that would, as their opinion doesn't count for much any how. Many schools, including TKD schools that train primarily to use their art in some practical capacity, wear black for the reasons you stated. Some schools wear different colors to differentiate between phases, programs or functions. Other schools just don't care about ghi color or style. This does not mean that they are in it for "just thuggery, physical activity, or using Tae Kwon Do for commercial gain," any more than wearing white guarantees they are not. In fact, many McThuggery social programs like to put on all the outward trimmings of tradition, as if these are what the martial arts are all about. So while I understand your preference, I wouldn't judge any martial artist or school by their ghi color.

Thanks guys. You do know that you all are really evil? The thingsyou all describe sound effective, and some good points about stability. Anothre queston: if you have him in a good rear choke, does it matter if he rolls you? He only has a few seconds till the lights fade out. I can see the ankle break or pain compliance loosening his hold. I'm guessingthere is an escape useing some combination of these...?

Welcome to crazy KF .

You can try. And they will work to an extent. But a coordinated, strartegically sound attack will pick that apart at long to medium range. I like to punch high, targeting one of his hands. If I get it, fine. But I really want a response, which I usually get; usually a flinch that involuntarily brings that guard up a little or a duck/evasion that brings his head in range of my hook. Again, as a grappler gets closer, I might want to have my elbows in a position to check a takedown attempt. Adjust the fight to your opponent, just don't fight his game if you don't have to. Remember too that our stances and footwork are different, and designed to work with a different structure and body mechanics. I'm not saying you suck because you do it different, just that both have strengths and weaknesses, and those varry with the practitioner as well. Learning both is probably a good idea- you can't defend what you don't understand. Why do you think I'm asking you grapplers questions?

I'll see how far I get before I have to get back to work. it facilitates 'recieving' (as opposed to 'blocking') some kicks, Move away from a roundhouse kick and the high-low guard automatically forms a basket, similar to the Taiji 'energy ball'. That kick sheds power rapidly after @ 80% of its arc- I've let TKDers roundhouse kick me hard with my hands clasped behind my back to prove this point. So your 'block' should really be a trap, as long as he's willing to give it to you. Front kicks and knee strikes can be dealt with by a side-step, and that low check is extremely well placed to 'block' in such a way as to turn him, forcing him to plant where you want him. If the upward knee is thrown from really close in, you simply have to invert the elbow to effect an inverted downward heel palm to the top of his leg (push down block), which will not only stop the strike but will effect his ballance. gives better angle and structure to some strikes, Say you want to strike his abdomen, solar plexus, or even chest in such a way as to both hurt him and stop his forward momentum. From a neutral bow (fighting stance) with the trailing hand checking mid/low, simply pivot into a forward bow as you horizontal thrust punch your selected target FROM POINT OF ORIGIN. This is very quickly deployed, powerful, and structurally sound enough to stop a large opponent with a fair ammount of momentum. If you strike to his abdomen or solar plex, make sure to keep the high check in place so you don't eat an unintentional head butt. Now, from the boxers guard, throw that punch and the elbow has to fly out somewhat. It has power, but lacks the structural integrety. Also, because of the distance it has to travel and the inversion of the arm, it takes over twice as long to deploy. and defends against more than just kicks. Pretty self explanatory, you can be struck in the lower body by any upper or lower extremety strikes. The check is there to deal with that possibility. It works well against the both hands up guard, using a high attack to momentarily keep his hands up and an extremely quick and powerful low attack from point of origin with that foolish low hand Hit him high, the guard usually rises at least a little, and the lower checking hand is perfectly positioned to take advantage of this. Consider the uppercut. When thrown from the boxers guard, the hand must drop, before it can come back up under his guard. Too much time. From a low check, you can more quickly and easily accomplish this as there is no preliminary movement. Now, I know you set him up first, and can throw it when your hand is down for some reason, but I think it is evident that you have more options, or less restrictions if your glass is half empty, from a low check. Also, in reall tight, like in a clinch, the hands up position works fine. But I've pointed out elsewhere that you should adjust your guard to fit the situation. Don't limmit yourself either way. Edit: (a little more time now, cleaned up some typos and a couple of statements that even I was having a little trouble following). Those are just some examples. One more is that when I strike he may be able to slip outside. I know a lot of grapplers are head hunters in the striking phase, but not many of you could resist an undefended side. It takes a little time to cover- not much, but enough for a strike. That check might be a handy thing to have there, and as my body is turning that way it flows naturally into place. Regarding the uppercut, we're only talking fractions of a second longer for yours from the guard. But still, longer is longer. Also, your shoulder has to drop more, and sooner (technically, mine doesn't have to drop at all, but I have that option), which is a telegraph. Yours can be short and sweet under the right conditions, but not comeing under a guard. Shorter is shorter, and options are options. And now, with those three profound comparisons, I think I've impressed myself enough!