delta1

JerryLove, usually I agree with you. But this time I think you are wrong. You can apply physics, or bio-physics, to martial arts. You could take hypothetical figures and apply them to stick models to illustrate what happens mechanically in a movement. You can talk in terms of principles of math and how they are applied practically in a martial move- F=m X v squared, so speed is a major component of a hard strike. Math is used in Kinnematics, the study of what happens to the human body when force is applied. Physical therapy students get a lot of math and applied physics, which is why I suggested talking to a physical therapist. It will take some research and work, but this is a doable and potentially instructive assignment.

Excellent advice. I'd add Kenpo, especially American Kenpo, to that list. Phillipino martial arts are also an excellent addition to TKD. Depends of course on what is available in your area. Those are all good styles.

1on1, that's an impressive resume. Sounds like you might do full contact/submission fighting. Mixing several martial arts, how easy is it for you to transition between the principles of each in a fight? Or do they blend and flow together? A lot of what you do are similar enough to work well together. But the principles of a boxers strikes and footwork are a lot different to those of most martial arts. All good styles, just curious as to how well they work together for you.

Krabi Krabong uses weapons. Is that what you were thinking of? Interesting history. There are a lot of arts like that, where the history is lost or shrouded in folk lore.

I agree with the physics aproach, as all body mechanics and martial arts applications are physics based. You use leverage in throws and arm bars. You could further develope that into compounding leverage as you lever an opponent over backwards using both your and his bodies points of flex (articulation). Inertia comes in to play when you get your body mass behind a strike or borrow his force and use it against him. The formulas for power and speed are in most everything you do. You might explore the momentary gyroscopic effect in spinning techniques and how it stabilizes a narrower base. How about comparing a block done as you move off the original center line to a block that meets a force head on by using the principals of vectoring forces? Center of gravity and stability. The applications are endless- sorta boggles tha mind! I'd pick a few that interest you, then research the physics. Maybe talk with a physical therapist (they are well versed on physics applied to the human body). Then, in general examples using stick figures, apply the math. Should be an interesting and enlightening project! Good luck!

Thanks, SevenStar. That's interesting. King of Fighters, why not tell a little about Mui Thai? It's a good art for sport or street. How was it developed? The rest of you, come on. You don't have anything to say about your art?

American Kenpo teaches several: downward block, inside downward palm up or down (usually a minor block as you move off the line of attack), leg checks, traps, push down (used more to the knee, not recomended to catch the kick at full extension). Stances should also protect the groin, and foot maneuvers are designed so as to minimize exposure. Of course, you have to apply them to do any good. I took a pretty hard groin shot last week in sparing. I guess it's good practice in shaking off pain and keeping going, but I don't recomend it!

Instead of the usual 'This style could beat that one, and a street fighter could whup you all' thread, I thought we could look at why different styles were developed differently. So, name your style and tell a little about why it functions the way it does. Or, ask questions about other styles. Maybe tell a little of what you know of other styles. But please, keep it respectful and let's avoid the 'vs.' stuff for a while. All styles were developed to meet the specific needs of those who used them. (Ex: Chinese Long Fist uses primarily long, looping strikes and defenses. This is because it is a Northern Chinese style, and they were too bundled up against the cold to throw anything else. Arts from places like Malaysia and Thailand, on the other hand, tend to incorporate a lot of twists and kneels to deal with slippery jungle environments. And Ving Tsun is noted for its' effectiveness in close quarters, where it was developed to be used.) So, let's hear about your style and why it is as it is. My base is American Kenpo, developed by Ed Parker as a logical, scientific, and practical self defense art for the American street. Mr. Parker studied the principles of many arts and catalogued them, and applied them to his base which was Chuan Fa. All excess or wasted motion was done away with, as well as any moves impractical for street or combat. AK has both hard and soft, circular and linear, and its' stances and footwork are mobile and adaptable to varried terrain and climates. It trains at all ranges and many of the moves and principles apply to ground fighting as well- a concept I've only recently started to work on. The terminology and teaching methods of AK are oriented more to the Western mind, though our Oriental roots are honored also. I have a question: I've got a theory that one of the reasons some of the Japanese and Okinawan martial arts use low stances is the rugged terrain typical of these islands. The leg strength those stances must build would be an advantage there. I can also picture the low stances adapting well to mountains or corridors in their close packed towns. Do those of you who practice JMA or Okinawan Arts think this is the case, or am I way off track? What advantages do you see in those stances and where would they be most useful? Now, I know you are dieing to tell about your art, or to ask questions about others. So let's hear it.

Yes. Definately!

Hikeon3, that school sounds like an interesting way to go. You'll find your AK background will help you since you are used to dealing with and understand principles. Of course, it will also be a difficult transition from the external to the internal. When we work with the martial applications of Taijiquan I have a tendency to revert to AK. I think my instructor looks at me as good training in staying mentally centered sometimes .

I see your point. But I'd phrase it a little differently. Selecting proper clothes before you go and situational awareness are excellent proactive things to do. But you can't allways avoid the attack, and looking at it as a screwup is a negative mindset. Think positive, aggressive, and counter attack with intent! He screwed up attacking you, because now he's going to get hurt, humiliated, and humbled! Rabbits have a running mindset. They also tend to freeze.

Like I said before, I prefer to be more upright and mobile. But I can think of a few times a low stance is desireable: Darkness- when fighting in the dark, a lower stance allows you to take advantage of ambient light or the horizon and allows you to possibly see your opponents profile while hiding yours. Slippery conditions- a lower stance might prevent slips or help you recover if you do slip. I don't like the wide low stances here though. More the twists and kneels. Steep, rugged terrain- those who regularly train low stances may have an advantage here. I suspect this is one reason many of the Japanese and Okinawan styles use low stances, though I don't know this for a fact. Cramped space- the Tai Chi masters practice their form under the kitchen table. Good idea if you plan to engage intruders hiding in your kitchen! (Actually, the idea is to develope leg strength, flexability, mobility, and ballance. And they don't use the wide stance of the traditional hard styles there either.)

AK isn't for everyone, that's true. I ballance the bone, organ and tissue destructiveness of AK with Tai Chi Chuan fa. TCC stresses yielding and, while it can do great harm, stresses doing nothing unless absolutely necessary. If you are looking more for the 'art' than the 'martial', I'd highly recomend you look at the Chinese Martial Arts in your area. Highly effective, they tend to be graceful and flowing. And I'd put any of the TCC styles at the top of the list. Oh, and just for the record (since others will read this thread), AK teaches you how to destroy an opponent. That's true enough. But it doesn't teach that you have to. You always have the option to just brutalize him a bit! (Just kidding )

The Phillipino Martial Arts are a god compliment to any style. They are flexable and fill in the holes or weaknesses in your application. It works angles and allows you to transition from small to large circles to stacato and broken rythm. They do a lot of joint locks with weapons, so it would give you another perspective on how the principles of your art transfer. I'd say try it with a good instructor and see if it will benifit you. My guess is it will.

That was good, KW. I have no problem with the sport people or the health crowd, as long as they are up front with what they are doing. But those who are dishonest are charlitans and liers, plain and simple. Calling them a McDojo is letting them off too easy, in my opinion. What they are doing borders on the criminal- fraud at least, and possibly manslaughter if one of their students gets killed. Rant over!

Done incorectly, Tai Chi is extremely hard on the knees. I know because I tried to do it by reading books and watching tapes. I had to lay off all training for a while so my knees could recover. Done correctly, Tai Chi is extremely good for all joints, including knees. But, according to my instructor, Americans are the only culture who, for some reason, have a tendency to ruin their knees when doing it. You need a good instructor to make those minor adjustments that make all the difference. And if you already have knee problems, there are adjustments which can be made to accomodate that problem. As allways, a good instructor and a willing student are the keys to making martial arts work.

You should allways move, but never bounce. The head should stay at the same level. Proper foot maneuvers will keep you light on your feet and elusive without the telegraphing and rythm of bouncing. They also keep your base on the ground where you are less susceptable to sweeps. If you bounce, you are going to land in a pretty well defined spot. All the opponent has to do is be at that same spot with his strike. Good foot maneuvers, on the other hand, are flexable- they can be changed or redirected in mid step. Foot maneuvers also move through stances, so all you have to do is solidify your stance the moment you strike and you have your base for a power shot. Best of both worlds!

I wouldn't say they're idiots, just ignorant. That condition can only be corrected if they are willing. That's why I recomend just letting it go. If they really want to know, they'll aproach you when they can learn without the intereference of other friends. Otherwise, it's a waste of breath talking about it. As for their being jerks, I don't know. You'll have to judge that based on all your personal knowlege of them. Their behavior as you describe it sounds like jerks, but then we've all done similar things. I just advised you to re-evaluate. You are on your own for the conclusions. Whatever you decide, don't let them dictate your interests or cause you to give up something that bennifits you and that you enjoy. Good luck.

I don't try to convince most people of anything. It is an unfortunate human trait to denigrate what we don't understand, and opening closed minds is not my mission in life. My advice is to let them wonder. Eventually, anyone really interested will seek you out in a more hospitable atmosphere and you can then enlighten him without all the negative peer pressure. Chi- most people are completely ignorant of it, and I'm no expert myself. But I have experienced it both in stillness and in action. Sounds like you have too. So don't let the nay-sayers get to you. You know what you know, and for those who are happily ignorant, why spoil their fun? As for the effectiveness of martial arts, most were forged and tested in battle. Even the more modern styles are based on the moves and principles of the old, reliable arts. I've used my art effectively, though not in a life threatening situation. But I personally know others who have used the same art against weapons and multiple attackers and who've come out on top. I'd say that whether or not an individual can use martial arts effectively depends more on how he trains and is trained, and on his overall abilities and level of confidence, than on his art (with a few exceptions). Bottom line, you know what you do and you enjoy what you do. Their opinions don't matter in the long run. If they can't accept that, maybe you should reevaluate their friendship.

I voted never, because that is the closest answer in principle that you listed. I only wear it to train, or when going to or from training. I train at home, at friends, and at different schools. Also seminars. If I'm training out in a public place, I generally wear street clothes. That's what you'll probably be wearing if the brown stuff hits the whirling blades any how.

By the way, I've been guilty of many of these assumptions and misconceptions in the past. But the more I look at the martial arts, the more I'm amazed at what is there and how wrong I can be at times. Opening your mind can be one of the biggest advantages to studying martial arts .

a.) Tai Chi (Taiji) Chuan fa is martial Tai Chi. I study Yang Tai Chi Chuan fa. Either spelling is aceptable, though I'd have to check to see what the new standardized spelling is to be more accurate/correct. b.) Thanks for the compliment. But any understanding I have can be blamed on American Kenpo, which I also study. AK stresses understanding principles. AKers can recognize principles at work in other styles, transfer principles to different situations, and adapt pinciples to deal with problems or disadvantages. It's one of the things I really appreciate about the art.

They compliment each other, so why limmit yourself to one choice? For that matter, why limmit your hand strikes to just punches, or your natural weapons to just hands and/or feet? I'm not a high kicker, though I can reach the average head if I want. High kicks are generally too risky. But I work out regularly with some kickers and have taken the occasional boot to the head, so I don't completely discount high kicks either. I guess I'd say train what interests you, and train it well. But don't restrict yourself. You really don't know what tools you'll need with the next opponent. Besides, it's fun to shock someone who thinks they know how you fight, just to see the look on their face if nothing else!

There are a lot of assumptions made like that in the martial arts: *Grapplers can't strike- anyone can strike, and some grapplers train their strikes. *Grappling is no good because submissions don't work in the real world- submissions may or may not work, depending on the situation. But a good grappler can break things, choke you out, or hold you till help arives, among other things. *I don't study grappling because the last place I want to be in a street fight is on the ground- being in a street fight isn't high on my list of things to do either. But doo-doo occurs, and we train for the mess. If I do go down, I'd like to at least have a chance of getting back up quickly. And it would be nice if he didn't get back up at the same time, so I don't have to worry about him as I face his friend(s). *Stand up fighters can't grapple- I've recently been looking at a lot of the moves and principles in American Kenpo, and they transfer directly to the ground. In fact, some work better on the ground than in stand up grappling. For instance, an arm break followed by a frictional pull- since you're both at least partially horizontal you have gravity working better for you, whether on botom or top. Also, disrupting his base can better unballance him from a mount than standing up; and checking a leg can prevent him from aquireing a better position. *Boxers can't kick- they may not do it as well as someone who trains it, but I guarantee they realize they have feet. *Forms are a waste- in most styles I've seen their forms are the key to a deeper understanding. They teach you the variations and multiple uses of a lot of your moves. To the Chinese, a secret is just something you havn't discovered yet. It is generally up to you to dig out the information in your forms. *Taiji isn't a fighting art- one of my favorites. Let's just say that ignorance isn't bliss, it's fatal. *Guns make martial arts obsolete- actually, just the opposite. The principles cross over to all weapons. I'd say the more potent the weapon, the greater the need for training before you either face it or use it. *You can't fight if you're______(sitting down, in water, 'handicaped', wearing restrictive clothing or equipment, small, large, female, ...)- if you think you may have to fight like any of these, train wearing/doing/being any of them. You might surprise yourself, gain new skills, and maybe even learn more about your art. There's my opinion, uh huh.

Sounds like you made a good choice. Once you get your sea legs with the Kempo, I'd seriously recomend you consider the Tai Chi as well. It will improve your practice of any martial art, as well as your life in general. Best of luck on your journey!