delta1

Nordabr-bro, Singulair of Nilbuick. I cheated and reversed the order of th honorarium because it sounded better. And, we Nilbuicians do things a little different any how.

I've allways wondered about this kick. We don't use it, but a lot of styles seem to do well with it. I've heard it is prone to injure the kicker, both over the long term in useage and immediately if done incorrectly. Is this true, in your experience? I suppose anything done incorrectly can injure you. What things do you do, what points do you pay particular attention to, in order to minimize injury? Not trying to hijack the thread. Just curious.

People quit for a lot of reasons. Some are valid, some poor. I guess I'd look at those who quit at black belt just like I see those who only stay through yellow. They helped pay the rent and keep the school open. Unfortunately, most schools couldn't stay in business if they depended only on the truly dedicated students. I'd guess that the harder it is to earn that belt, the more they'll respect it and the more likely they'll stay on. But probably far fewer will reach that level. Holding their full certificate and the privilage of wearing the first stripe for six months sounds like a good idea to me. But you might consider giving them a permanent certificate with a title like Basic or Associate Black Belt. That would encourage them to stay for the full rank/title, while letting them get a taste of what it is to be a black belt. But if all they want is the ultimate contrast to a white uniform, I say let them go in peace instead of staying to pass on that attitude.

MMA, hybrid styles. More schools incorporating things like grappling and aiki to round out their carriculum. More contact and a move towards a reality base. More training in awareness, situational control, and dealing with fear and adrenalin. Some emphasis on gross motor skills fighting. This isn't to say that the traditional and sport styles and schools will decline. They probably won't. I just think the current trend, and fastest growth, is along the lines of the above paragraph. I'd like to see a trend toward teaching an internal art simultaneously. Say, incorporating Tai Chi Chuan or Aikido, or any of the internal styles, with an aggressive external style. Ballancing the Yin and Yang (In & Yo). But, I ain't holdin' ma breath till I sees it!

SaiFightsMS Posted:"It is becomeing increasingly common for top martial artistists to train with each other exchanging information and techniques in the process. That period of time is when the practice really started." You are correct in that, I think. I've heard stories from senior Kenpoists of Bruce Lee working out with Mr. Parker and some of his senior students. Mr. Parker also worked as a movie industry consultant, and of course Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris were actors. I think a lot of information got exchanged within this industry group. Still does.

artoftheninja, http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/evolution.html try this link. It has some good stuff on the diferences in old style pugilism and modern boxing. G95champ is correct, boxing teaches bad striking habbits due to the gloves. They allow you to hit incorrectly and also, due to the fact you have to deal with the weight of the gloves, the method of throwing the punch is slightly altered. Other weaknesses are that they lean forward, bringing targets into range of your strikes. And they don't protect their lower body well, nor do they kick well. This is because they are only concerned with the "legal" strike zone from the waist up. I should qualify the above statements by saying that a lot of boxers are or were street kids who do know how to hit with bare knuckles and also know they can use their feet outside the ring! Boxings strong points are its physical and mental conditioning. Also, the fact that you hit and get hit with intent. And an experienced boxer will pick you apart- they hit openings as they develope. Max, in your case I'd say the instructor and school are more important than the style. I don't have any links, but if you do a search on the net there are probably organizations, schools and styles for martial artists with disabilities. I wish you all the luck in your journey!

SaiFightMS, that story about Kevin is one of the most inspirational things I've read in a long time.

Amp, I have a lot of respect for Hapkido in general'. It may be just the school you are with. You might want to reconsider your affiliation with them. Another tack might be to stay there, glean as much as you can from them, and tone down your sparing. Use those sessions to work on footwork, entries, blocks and parries, positioning, techniques and moves. Push yourself so that you are at a disadvantage, trying new things. That is often what I do when sparing with junior opponents. You don't want to overwhelm them, and are mostly a trainer in that situation. But I sometimes work in a few things I'm trying to improve on. I don't know that much about Ryukiu Kenpo, but I understand there are a lot of similarities to American Kenpo. If that's whre you are learning more and getting pushed to improve, I'd say you'll soon come to the point that you should leave the Hapkido school and concentrate on what bennifits you the most. But, of course, that's your call. Good luck in your training.

"Aikido, Kenpo, Case Kajukenbo, and Sanzyuryu Jujistu" You call that not much?! I wish I had that kind of selection in my town! I have to travel for everything! What branch of EPAK is offered there? I study American Kenpo, and I may be able to find out a little about them. I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand, especially if you are wanting a style that is easy on your body. AK has a ballance of hard and soft, and is meant to be tailored to the individual. You would learn both, but as you advance you tailor the art to your own needs and preferences. Yellow belt is mostly hard. But soft is introduced early on. And, as you progreess, more soft as well as better flow is taught. Also, most AK schools now days teach small circle aiki as well as grappling. In small towns, this may not be the case. But check it out, you may be surprised. At any rate, your Judo training will go well with whatever you do. I feel like a broken record, because I allways say this to anyone trying to choose a martial art or a school. But take your time now and get to know all the schools in your area. Choose the art and the school that best fits your needs. The one that offers what you want in a martial art. And the one where you are most comfortable, the one you think you'll enjoy most. Time spent now in carefully choosing your path is not wasted. The waste would be to choose the wrong art or school and later drop out or have to start over.

I'll refer you to my post under 'Shotokan vs. Kenpo' for an explanation of Kenpo. And the advice I gave there is applicable here, I think. You should invest some time now trying out the different schools to see which fits your needs. But first, you need to decide what you want out of the martial arts. If you want to pursue it as a sport, there's nothing wrong with point sparing. But it isn't fighting or self defense, and that training won't work well even in contact sport fighting. I'd advise keeping an open mind and investigate all the schools in your area, then pick the one that meets your needs. And consider that the school itself is as or more important than the style. Quality of instruction, attitude of instructors and students, condition and availability of equipment are all important. Pick the one you think you can go to on those days you just don't feel like doing anything. The one you'll enjoy being with is the one you're more likely to stick with. Good luck.

Well, that's what I get for answering before reading the responses. Sorry, BKJ. Didn't mean to diss you. You asked what was wrong and, being an opinionated sod I told you. But at least you had the sense to ask. Others have given good advice on correcting it, so I'll simply go wash the egg from my face. Good luck!

Everything! Most stances are unstable in one direction. This one is only stable in one very specific direction. It has no mobility. The front leg is exposed and vulnerable. Because the back leg is straight, the range of his rear (right) hand is limmited. The rear hand is also limmited in offense or defense in that position. It looks like it would be difficult to get his hips into any strike or maneuver. His weight is forward, so the only foot he can kick with is the back foot, and that only a front or side kick, unless he moves and thereby telegraphs. It looks to me to be a cross between a TKD front stance and back stance. The question is, why? What are they trying to accomplish? I really see no bennifit to this stance. I sincerely hope this was an example of what not to do! If that is the case, someone did an outstanding job. Otherwise, I sincerely hope any one who attacks me in earnest studies at the school that originated that graphic! I'm curious. Where did that come from?

I'd go with number two. But, I'm not you. Try them both and decide which gives you what you want in your training.

BKJ, the use of these terms usually refers to your response to an attack. Hard styles primarily respond to force by opposing it. Soft styles primarily yield or redirect force. A hard response to a punch might be a block. A soft response would be to move and/or parry. Hard is characterized by more linear movements, though not allways the case. Soft is generally more circular. Some styles teach both more or less equally (mine is one of these). Alternating hard and soft can be an efffective fighting strategy. "Where linear ends, circular begins. And where circular ends, linear begins." This concept greatly enhances flow as well as disrupting an opponents strategy of attack. The two can also be combined very effectively. A soft, redirecting defense that takes advantage of an opponents own energy and momentum to position him so that he runs into a simultaneous hard blocking strike is a potent defense.

Kyle-san, I didn't think you were taking shots. Neither was I. In fact, looking at what you do, you seem to be a well rounded martial artist. I once attended a seminar given by the head of one of the aiki systems (Anise Sensei- Aiki-Jutsu). He made the point that to be a complete martial artist you need a stand up style, locks and throws, ground fighting, an internal style and healing arts. I think he was right, though I have a long way to go to get there. His system was interesting to me because he combined external and internal principles effectively, which is where I would like to get to in my practice. But that takes a lot of time. Any way, good luck in your training.

The primary stance in American Kenpo is the neutral bow. It is very similar to the 'fighting stances' I've seen a lot of different styles take, but not a traditional MA/karate stance. Basically, your feet are at 45'. Distance apart is about the same as the length of your lower leg. A line running from your opponent to you should touch the toe of your forward foot and the heel of the rear foot. Knees bent and over feet, but not forced or too low. This stance is stabil, but very mobile. It transitions well into other stances or to foot maneuvers. In close, we train leg checks as being almost automatic. And if you pass a point of articulation (joint) it is automatic to check. There are several ways to roll a stance that is checking a leg/knee up to apply pressure to that leg/joint. Most common involves steping to a twist to gain proper position or angle and lower the stance while moving into the opponent. You have to be careful with this in practice as it can dammage your partners knee if applied properly. In addition to hurting the opponent, they provide excellent dimensional control. Depending on where you are in relation to your opponent you can apply pressure straight back to create distance, inside or outside to turn, and even to the back to buckle. This is one of the things I'm trying to work on useing better right now. But it is difficult to do in sparing. Timeing and position are criticali, and if you do get into good position you have to back off for fear of accidental injury. That means you often take a hit for your efforts. I guess it's like one of the TKD instructors I work out with said; "You're going to loose in the dojang. It's designed so you loose, because in here you can't do what you actually need to do to win." There are also other ways to use stances, or stance changes and foot maneuvers, as weapons. Trips and sweeps are good examples. A step through forward can be an instep kick. Steping back into an opponent (if you are unfortunate enough to have one of those behind you) can buckle his knee outward if done properly. I like my bridge, or entry maneuver, to double as a weapon whenever possible.

Unless this is a good friend, or a disabled kid, or some other compelling reason, I'd say no. Several reasons; There might be a reason that thirty people are picking on him. He needs to learn to handle this situation himself. These days, all schools have policies against this behavior, and they are in a position of authority to handle the situation. I don't care how far you go in the martial arts, I doubt you'll ever be able to handle thirty opponents. You buy into his problems, you may end up owning them. Will he be there for you? Sadly, your steping into the middle of this could position you as the aggressor and get you into trouble. You might find that this kid not only wouldn't appreciate your intervention, but he might even turn on you. (I once talked to a psycologist about this, and she told me it is a defense/coping mechanism, and not uncommon at all). So, while your concern is commendable, I'd advise against direct intervention based on what you've said here.

Meiou, the guy that did that is a butt! People like him have no place in the martial arts, and most martial artists are not that way. I'm guessing that there are many in your school who would be willing to help you work through this. Start easy and work back into it. And definately talk to your instructor about it. Good luck.

Instead of concentrating on your stomache muscles for lower breathing, try concentrating on breathing with the muscles of your lower back. It is not only a more effective way to breathe, it will help you stay loose and move in a fight. Takes some getting used to, though. And if you are moving from the tan tien, all movement must originate with these muscles any how. So it's good practice.

Oh, why not. I usually don't get involved in style vs. style debates, though I love comparing styles. But you guys are keeping it pretty low keyed. So... Kyle-san, I hate to tell you, but American Kenpo teaches the principals involved in breaking or reversing holds and locks from the start. All these can be countered, many can be used against you. That isn't to say that they aren't useful or effective if you know when and how to use them. I just wouldn't want to have to depend primarily on them to defend myself. Having said that, though, I will say that I've seen some senior practitioners that would flow with your counters all day, untill they decide to really put you down. Also, I do Tai Chi, and the martial applications of that include Chin-na. Awesome! Most AK schools in my area offer small circle aiki and grappling as adjuncts to Kenpo. I think this is a good thing. I've spared other styles as well, and AK as a system holds its own with all of them. It teaches to fight at all ranges, all angles, and to dominate all deminsions, as well as use of all natural weapons and stand up grappling. So there is an answer for just about anything you'll run into. Well, there's my brag on what I do! Too bad it depends so much more on the practioner than the style, huh?

I love open hand strikes. Besides being extremely effective (as already discussed), they are versatile. At times they are all that will fit where you want to hit, like contouring his arm to a neck strike when his chin is tucked. They convert easily to other weapons- claw, finger thrust, crane hand, etc. They facilitate flow, like converting the returning motion after an elbow strike to a heel palm claw. And they are an awesome in close weapon. Try this (simplistic example alert!); stand in front of a surface you can strike. Adduct either forearm so it is parrallel to the floor and make a fist with that hand. Place your fist against the surface to be struck. Now, without moving your arm, open your fist into a heel palm. From point of origin, strike the surface. You should be able to generate enough power, even from this distance, to rock someones world if delivered to the right target!

"Ok I do not have to time nor the money to regularly go to martial arts classes, so I'm looking for other ways." Money I understand. But if you don't have time to learn from an instructor, you certainly don't have the time to figure this out from books and learn it. Also, you should consider the time it will take you to unlearn the bad habbits you will develope without an instructor to corect you before they are ingrained in permanent mental and muscle memory. I'm sorry to tell you, but I don't think it is possible to properly learn a complex art from books alone. My suggestion is, if you can't find a way to get good instruction, that you get books or manuals on simplified fighting systems and start there. These systems typically use simple, natural moves that are easy to learn and apply. They also make use of coarse muscle movements, which is an advantage if you need to use your skills early in your training. Krav Maga would be one example of this type system. But if it were me, I'd get a copy of 'Kill or Get Killed' by Col. Rex Applegate. It is a WWII training manual, and an excellent place to start. I think Pallidan Press still prints this book. And, no matter what you choose to do, you'll need at least one dedicated workout partner. Good luck!

My basic stance is a ballance between low enough for stability and high enough for mobility; emphasis on mobility. Once in range, stances should change continually as you maneuver. Posed stances are targets. Stance changes also add power to your strikes and do most of the work in stand up grappling techniques. You have to be mobile to use a stance to its fullest. Kicking off the back leg usually only works after you've set him up. Takes too long to deliver. And blocking the kick is not your opponents only option. If it is a front kick, he can step to the side and block, parry, or trap to put you where he wants you. Roundhouses off the back leg are worse yet. The kick has its max power at just past 80% of its arc. If he steps back, past the apex of the kick, and throws up a universal, or wall block, he has you. He is facing your center line with all weapons in battery and all your targets are exposed. And your base consists of one foot, temporarily supporting one good knee. Personally, I prefer to move inside and jam his attack, then see how many targets I can destroy before the kicking foot comes back down. The further inside the kick you get, the less power it has. But timeing is important or you may take a nasty knee strike.

I like to get in close, but I avoid tieing up my weapons in a clinch. In close weapons are awesome; knees, elbows, ridge hnads, forearms, insteps, head... everything is a weapon in close, including your stance. Knee strikes are effective, and the groin and abdomen are obvious targets. But don't forget about attacking his base. A god hard knee strike to his quadricep can seriously compromise his foundation. If you have a good leg check in place, it is sometimes possible to roll up your stance and buckle his knee.

It's been around a long time because it works. Enough reason to like it. Most important though is to know when and how to use it. The weapon is the first two, larger knuckles. They should be in the lead when you contact the target. So throwing this punch at targets on the head of an upright fighter might not be a good idea. Too many hard surfaces and your fingers would be in the lead. Distance is another factor. In close, you may not have time to get the full rotation before contact. But it is an effective tool when used correctly.