SevenStar

actually, no you are not, in most cases. Put 90% of the population in front of a heavy bag and watch them. What to they do? just stand there and punch it. no footwork at all, which is part of their basics. they get too caught up in simply hitting it hard. For styles that block, how do you practice an inside block or an outside block? get real close to the bag so that your forearm smacks it? No. you can't practice everything on the bag, and thus dedicated work on the basics is necessary. case in point, right there - the heavy isn't all about power. It's about speed and movement as well. the effect of physical power is lessened as skill becomes more equal. I outweigh my coach, but he can beat me, because he is better than me. When I hit him, does it hurt? Heck yeah it does, but he can suck the pain up and still out fight me. Why can't you? I do it all the time. You have to look at sparring from an aspect of skill improvement. let's say I am better than you and we are sparring. I'm not going to just try to beat you - that's to easy. i will pick a skill that I need to work, and work it. Since I am better than you anyway, it's not a problem for me to get my timing right for the technique. so, for example, I want to work slipping only. So, I make a conscious effort not to parry any of your punches - I only slip them. You cannot do this with a bag, because, as you pointed out - the bag cannont hit back.

sidekick? you mean quickkick? And who remembers the kunoichi (female ninja) with the pink gi - jinx?

I'm not saying YOU are making an excuse. I'm saying what you said sounds like a typical excuse. As I said, competing isn't for everyone, Although I feel all MA should at least once. we all do. I also know many who have gotten hurt, because the real thing wasn't anything like they expected. The jaw was an example - something you see in sport fighting. The technique is really irrelenant. My point is that TMA claim they train to end a fight quickly and more efficiently, but if my strike ends the encounter just as fast, what does it matter whether I hit him in the jaw or the temple? Either way, it's over. you're really not watering down anything, especially not from a wing chun standpoint.

none of the san soo guys I've talked to do any sort of real sparring or contact training. No groundwork either. That being the case, a san soo guy would get murdered in an MMA venue. He would have to alter his training some to have a real chance.

doesn't matter. standing locks don't directly apply to the ground. Also, chin na is not a system of it's own - it's integrated into other styles, meaning that you will not focus only on the grappling that you learn. bjj is focused on one thing. To try and translate chin na to the ground would be to try and re-invent the wheel. It's true strength is it's standing locking, not any groud work that it may/may not have, depending on whom you train with. There is a chinese style called dog boxing that's not common, but does do ground grappling - perhaps you can liken it to bjj - it has similarities but isn't the same.

Muay Thai: Advanced Thai Boxing Techniques - cristoph delp Muay Thai - mony moore Muay Thai Kickboxing: The Ultimate Guide To Conditioning, Training, And Fighting - chad boykin Thai Boxing Dynamite - zoran rebac Muay Thai: A living Legacy - kat prayukvong Fighting Strategies of Muay Thai: Secrets of Thailand's Boxing Camps - pedro villalobos All of these are great books. I own three of the six, and my coach owns the other three. Training sites? As in sites that show you how to do techniques? No, there are none that I know of. There are several sites that have illustrations, but you aren't going to learn how to do a technique from those.

No, it doesn't. How old are you?

I agree with your first two sentences, but completely disagree with the rest. I think he does have a jaded outlook on MA. However, I disagree with your assertion that sport guys are limiting themselves by practicing restraint, when you in essence do the same thing. If you are not breaking those bones in every practice, you are restraining. If you are not hitting full contact and power when you strike, you are restraining. That sword is very double edged. On one side, you've got the MMA who knows how to deal with adrenaline, is calm under stressful circumstances, knows how to deal with an attacker, but may not know what some may consider a "more efficient" way of ending a fight (I put it in quotes because I think that's crap, but that's beyone the point of this post) On the other hand you have the san soo guy who knows the right points to strike, knows how to end the fight "more efficiently" has the skill, but due to lack of experience dealing with unfriendly people in an unfriendly environment, doesn't know how to deal with adrenaline, may crumble under stress, etc. Just as ortiz was jumped (as I mentioned above), I've also seen many TMA get mauled in the street. Such is life.

everybody thinks about fighting at some point in time. But, you have to look at it realistically from the point of view of the person in question. Let's say I'm a big shot lawyer. I COULD find time to train, but considering that the chances are that I will NEVER be attacked anyway, then my time would be better spent becoming the best lawyer I can be. I have a saying - TMA guys train for a possibility, MMA guys train for an inevitability. I KNOW I'll fight again, because I compete. A non-competitor does not have that guarantee. Given that the chances are likely that you will never be attacked anyway, whether you train or not does not really matter in the grand scheme of most people's lives, which is why it is okay to walk around with the possibility that you mentioned. Not only that, but it can happen to anyone. Tito Ortiz ws in a barfight, got blindsided and knocked out a few years ago. Anything is possible. MA training only aims to give you a better chance of survival - it's not a guarantee.

wrong. people always downplay endurance in the street because streetfights are shorter. While that is true, you have to look at the true nature of adrenaline. People know that it enhances you, but they are under the false impression that it will enhance you for the whole fight - that's not true. It saps you completely, and it does so very quickly. that's why a quick, 30 second fight can seem like it lasted for several minutes. Also, what if you have to run?

technically, no, they are not. they are all modern styles that have their roots in TMA. judo - not a classical koryu style. It is a modern offshoot of jujutsu. bjj - modern offshoot of jujutsu. muay thai - derivative of older muay - muay chaiya, muay lon lon, krabbi krabbong, etc. These arts are DEFINITELY martial in nature, but by definition are not traditional. With that said; I fight. I compete in judo, thai boxing and will soon start competing in both mma and boxing. I've posted a few routines on the thai boxing forum and on the health forum. Also, if you're interested, I have a running blog on another forum I post on: http://martial.best.vwh.net/forum/showthread.php?t=36295 there are several guys keeping blogs there, and two or three of them fight. do you have mental issues or are you prone to violence? just make sure that you want to be the best that YOU can be, don't worry about being the best that people perceive you to be. I doubt it. being competitive is normal in males of all species. Humans are competitive in different things, some of us prefer to be competitive in MA.

no.

Most kicks go to the legs. Boxers tend to take more headshots because, one they can only use their hands, so it's going there or the body, and two because a lot of times amateur bouts won't count body shots. edit: I should also note that there's nothing at all sissy about not wanting head trauma. I can't imagine many intelligent people who'd want to be punch drunk, no matter how much they love boxing. (And I'm not saying that every boxer ends up that way.) exactly.

it's not that common, actually, especially if you aren't doing it on a high level.

definitely move while throwing them. if you are trying to enter with the jab, you need to move in range to hit him - that will also ut you in range for your follow up strike, which is shorter range than the jab, so you need to cover the distance. Also, throwing the punch as you move in can hide your forward movement, as he's more concerned with the incoming punch than he is with your movement.

that explains alot - just give it some time.

if he were more advanced, I would agree. However, as a beginner he will only form bad habits.

if you're not stepping with your jab, then your technique may not be as good as you think it is. step with the jab, then follow up. be sure to mix it up - don't always throw the same combo and don't forget to target the body. the jab is a straight punch - it shouldn't target either side of the head.

I'm thinking that he is actually referring to wrapping. If so, here ya go: http://www.ringside.com/articles/handwrap_article.htm this is only one method of wrapping, as there is no one correct way. different trainers do it different ways. there are things common to each method, however.

the first question should be certified where? a kickboxing certification doesn't mean anything outside of the organization it was attained in, as there is no standard governing body like there is with judo, karate, etc. Chances are, it was cardio kick. As for telling people you're a fighter, why would you?

Have you found another place to train yet?

in the case of point sparring, I agree with you. In the case of full contact, no. Matter of faclty, I spar pretty regularly with the capoeira instructor who teaches at out club. He kicks like a mule. we strike, clinch, kick, etc. he doesn't have any problems with it. since we are going full contact, we don't have the committment issues you speak of.

the answer to both of your questions lies in one easy answer - footwork. you have to work your way inside. you can't do that if you're not moving. Your opponent won't let you hit him - you gotta create openings. footwork, angling and strategic striking are how you do this. One you begin to grasp that concept, then specific combos will be irrelevant. Out of curiosity, how long have you been training?

how are you using it? are you just standing still and throwing it? when you jab, step forward. As you slide your other foot up, throw your cross. If you're going to follow up with the jab, you're gonna have to step into them, unless they are already coming toward you. Also, don't headhunt. throw the jab at their body to get them to lower their hands - then follow with a cross to the head. Play with it some and see how it works for you. Here's another thing to keep in mind: "punches in bunches" your first follow up may not work - throw a third punch. and a fourth. You have to get in the mindset of attacking in combinations.

i don't think you can adequately develop "fighting timing" from solo kata alone. you can work YOUR OWN timing - when you throw strikes, move, etc. But not your response time to the incoming attack. This is where drilling comes in.