delta1

Neither strike wuould bother me, and I (as most ma's) train for both. It isn't as easy as you'd think to gouge someones eyes out or do permanent dammage to a healthy eye. But in the short term of a fight it is an effective strike. And even if it did permanent dammage, better him than me!

The following is an excerpt from a statement made by a Kenpoist who knew Bruce Lee personally and trained with him, Mr. Tom Bleeker. "My personal experience was that Bruce Lee was an exceptional teacher, but mainly of experienced martial artists. Put simply, he just didn't have the patience to teach new students. He did, however, have a long list of prominent black belts who sought out his teaching, many of whom were world champions at the time. What I personally found to be Lee's greatest teaching asset was the he was incredibly skilled at pointing out what was wrong with an individual's martial art. By that I mean he was quite skilled at keying in on what didn't or wouldn't work as opposed to what did or would work." Another interresting quote, by Mr. George Dillman, in an interview in the Sep. issue of Black Belt Mag: "Bruce had a write up in a magazine and it sounded as if he wanted everyone to stop doing kata. ... I asked him specifically in 1972why he would make such a comment about forms, and he said:'George, that was a misquote. I didn't say that everyone didn't have to do forms. I think the forms are the alphabet. I think the forms are the printing.You learn the alphabet at school and you learn to print, then you learn words and then paragraphs and you no longer go back to the alphabet even though you are writing it. You learn how to write sentences and paragraphs.' "

At least one event that scared the **** out of me. A few. Depends on who's asking!

Better is a pretty subjective term. I look at this more from a standpoint of general strengths and weakneses. Men do tend to be stronger, larger, and more aggressive. Women tend to use more finesse. I used to climb mountains, and this really showed up there. Men usually try to tackle the mountain and pound it into submission. Women usually use better technique to work up the face. But when you find both general traits in a person of either gender, a strong aggressive person with finesse, you are looking at an excellent climber. Same with the martial arts. I guess I'd have to give the advantage to the men in general. But you underestimate the women at your peril.

My bag is a 50 lb. bag hung on a pole that is mounted so it can swing. I have guy lines with quick clips so I can use it stationary. But the best use is to let the pole traverse through about a 45' arc as I assault the bag. This simulates a moving opponent. Also, the 50 pounder bounces and moves itself, so I get to target a moving 'opponent'. Really works your targeting and technique, and you know it if you hit it wrong . The best efect is when it comes against the stops at the end of the traverse. The bag swings away, then it comes back at me, adding another dimension to the training. Some people mount them on cables and pulleys, gantrys, or anything that will let the bag move. Having the bag move really kicks your training up a notch!

A cat stance is a transitional stance. You aren't supposed to be in it for more than it takes to move through it. For that matter, no stance is a pose (unles you make the cover of BB Mag). To answer the original question, my primary fighting stance is a neutral bow. Draw a line from you to your opponent. The toe of your lead foot and the heel of the trailing foot touch the line. Feet are 45' to the line, knees bent and slightly out. If you kneel with the trailing knee it would almost touch the forward foot. Coccyx tucked slightly, back straight, head erect, hands up in guard position. Relax. Now start moving!

I think TKD is an excellent starting place. He'll learn snap, power, ballance, coordination, and get used to moving in stances and working hands and feet. He'll be miles ahead when he starts another art in a few years. And the TKD schools I've seen are really god at fitness and flexability. Go for it!

I see your point. But consider that different people want different things from the arts. Schools cater to different needs. I define the McDojos as schools that advertise one thing and deliver another. Typically, they promise effective self defense, but teach suicide. A lot of people don't want to train at the same level of intensity as an NHB fighter or a warrior. So if you want that kind of training, you might need to look harder and be aware of the difference, as you pointed out. But I wouldn't label a school a McDojo just because they don't train insane, or they train for sport or spiritual developement. As long as they deliver what they say and are reasonably effective, I have no problem with them. I do have a problem with a liar trying to sell me anything (politics, religion, McMartial Arts).

I completely agree with SR. I use videos a lot because I'm not able to go to class on a regular basis (too far away). They are a good resource, but it takes a live instructor to make adjustments and fine tune your technique. Those corrections are critical in making the art work, and if you don't learn it right in the basics you have a weak foundation to build on, even if you do get the moves down. Another thing to consider is quality of instruction. There are some excellent videos out there on just about any style or subject. But the McMasters also make videos, and if you don't have some knowlege to judge their techniques by, you can spend a lot of money on hamburgers when you think you're buying steak. Not to mention the time you'll invest learning to get yourself killed. And another thing, if you are going to learn by video, you'll still need at least one other dedicated partner to work out with. Learning in the air will only get you so far. You need to feel the techniques both done on a live body and done to you in order to understand them and learn them. And it would be better to have a third person so you can see them done as well. But still, no matter how good the video, or how dedicated your training partners, I recomend at least getting private instruction once a month (more would be better).

From your list, I'd recomend BJJ as they are proven effective, get you in great shape, work on finesse instead of brute force, and can throw and strike as well as roll on the ground. Best advise is you should try them all out and see which seems more effective to you, as well as which you enjoy the most. If you don't enjoy it, you won't practice as you shoul and nothing is effective done like that.

Kali empty hands are, like the weapons moves they are based on, more circular than linear. They have excellent flow, and make good use of angles. In fact, those circular movements are really superimposed on compounded angles. One major difference in the PMA's and many other styles is that they tend to pick you apart a piece at a time, where arts like Kenpo (my base) tend to be more direct. Note I said "tend" in both cases; this is not an absolute, as both arts do some picking apart and some direct destruction. All in all, I find Kali to be an extremely effective and practical art. And, since the new by word on this board is "aliveness" (and a good thing that), I'll say that you won't find a more alive art. When you play with sticks, you either get real alive or really whomped!

Katas, or forms, are an excellent training tool for fighting. They are not the only way- some styles have a different training philosophy and do well without them. And I don't think that they'll train you to fight well by themselves. But they train you to internalize the moves and principles of your art as well as any method, better than most. The reason I say this is that the moves in the forms of all the styles I've seen have multiple applications. They are meant to be discovered by the practicioner as he advances and thus made his own (internalized). A simple example common to many styles is the fist chambered to the hip. (I personally don't like training to chamber at the hip, but like I said, it is common, and even found in some Kenpo forms.) That chamber can be done as preparation for a strike. But with just minor modifications can be a block covering the ribs, a back elbow strike, a grab and pull bringing your opponent into a strike,... . And there are details and principles in each of these applications. For example, the grab and pull. That 'chamber' is kept close to your body, and the move done with footwork and stance change. The principles here are to keep that elbow anchored through the pull and let your stance change and body momentum do the work. So, now you've figured all that out. Are you a better fighter? I'd say you still need to practice it on a compliant, then resisting, then attacking opponent. Learning involves being taught the basics, having principles and concepts explained to you. Then deeper learning comes with mental activity, figuring things out for yourself. Then to truly learn it, you must apply it. I see forms as a critical part of the connection between explanation and application. They give you a deeper understanding.

I think he's got it!!! Combinations are not a pre-planed fight sequence. Training them is just training to follow up. You can train certain concepts, like mixing up your strikes, high- low attacks, and working off his reaction to previouse strikes (yes, you can predict how he will probably react to any given strike). But training a sequence as a rote response to an attack, or as a preplaned assault, is foolish fighting. My EVER so humble opinion!

$30 to $50 per month is about the going rate in my area for good instruction. One in Wenatchee charges $70 a month, but you get unlimmited use of facilities and he is a world class instructor. About $20 to $40 per hour for private instruction. Contracts are not popular, and those that do them are frowned on by the MA community here.

You could go ahead and pick one that seems most interesting to you and join that class. Then start going to seminars, tournaments, and other events. Get to know the martial arts community through involvement. It is amazing how much is out there sometimes, but it isn't allways easy to find them. But a lot of those who train on their own are involved in the local MA community just to feel connected and to find partners to work out with. That is the way it is with me. And some of us are allways looking for people that want to work and learn. So even if it isn't what you ultimately want to do, get started and get involved. Then, who knows? At the very least you'll start developing some skills so when you do find your life's commitment you won't be starting quite from zero.

Thanks, guys. That was informative. Shorin, I checked the link and it had some good info. I'll probably check this school out, since I'm having trouble holding on to training partners. My techniques are getting way too much air time, and not enough grunt and slam.

Not associated with Dog Brothers that I know of. But it does bring to mind their motto, "Higher consciousness through harder contact!" I'm a hurtin' unit today! But I'm going back either later this week or sometime next.

True, the term is used that way. I guess that brings up one other critical point about the McD phenom, and that is that they typically misrepresent themselves. The McD's claim to be realistic fighting arts, but their techniques are unrealistic. I have no problem with schools that train for health, sport or spirituality, as long as they are up front about it. It bothers me to see some of the stuff that is touted as realistic self defense, but that would actually hurt the MA instead of the bad guy.

Yes again. Most of this schools' weapons stuff is PMA based. They aren't traditional TKD by any means.

I did. They still use the sticks on the ground! Simply amazing! I id get a good knee strike to the head on the ground, though. Really rung his bell! Literally! Those full head gear are like fighting with a bell on your shoulders, and your head is the clapper!

It's a government job, so you may be right about the sleep!

It was But now here it is 1:00 and I still can't sleep! I'd like to be able to tell you that I really cleaned up tonight. But the truth is that I got pretty much whuped up on. One of them kept telling me that the sticks are a long range weapon, and asking why I kept moving in close where they weren't quite as effective. I told him I was getting killed out there. But they were cool with that. Punyo strikes (butt end of the stick) can lead elbows, similar to what we do in Kenpo. It gets real ugly in close, and the sticks add a whole new dimension to grappling! I enjoyed it tonight, but I'm gonna pay at work tomorrow. Then I'm supposed to work out with some TKD guys! I bet I sleep tomorrow night!

Yes. Modern Arnis is pretty popular around here.

McDojo is basically the martial arts equivalent of fast food. You could go out for a steak dinner (real martial art), but it will cost you more (effort). Or you could go to McDojo's and get a #1 , and for a little more money they'll supersize it with all sorts of goodies like a fancy uniform with lots of patches and awards. They'll guarantee your black belt is already under the heat lamps, just waiting for your order. The instructor is probably some clown who's never been in a fight in his life. And like the McD's food that clogs your arteries, the techniques you learn at McDo's will get you killed or hurt if you ever have to use them for real. Things like forms and difficult drills are like wine, you won't get it at McD's. It's a deragatory term for a school that is in it only for the fast buck, not for the art.

I've said here that full contact is a myth, but I just worked out with some Kali types, and I have to say it was as hard as it was fun! We fought full contact with padded sticks, and I do mean FULL CONTACT! And not those wiffle sticks either, but real sticks wraped with foam. I'm bruised and bleeding, even as I type this. But I'm smileing too, so I must be OK. Another great thing was their anything goes attitude. Several times it went to the ground on the concrete floor. We did wear headgear and gloves. But other than that it was street clothes. There's not really any point to this post, except that I'm still too pumped to go to bed. Salud!