SevenStar

exactly - you're only really mobile to one side, not both. I have a better idea of where you'll go.

yes

as for having my back, I'm referring to many TMA. hell yes. The drive that they show and the physical abilities that they have due to their training speak for themselves. When you compete at such a level, you have to train hard, you have to focus, etc. that will serve them well, and I'd be comfortable with either of them at my side because of that. that being said, if they were lower caliber, like local level guys that do the same thing, I would not pick them. Naturally, it's subjective, but how relevant is that? they are world class in what they do. not local, not national, but world. There's something to be said for that.

kyokushinkai karate guys spar hard. When I was training karate, I was training under a japanese guy who was raised and trained in japan and he loved to spar hard. He also told me that his school wasn't like many others there though...

the most common you'll see are the roundhouse (all variations are used - low, middle, high, cut kick, etc) and the teep kick. yes, it has a sidekick, but you may not learn it... MT classifies kicks into arcing and thrusting categories. the sidekick, as a thrusting kick is included, but it's not used much in thai fights. yes, those kicks are fine in a real confrontation.

I'd reccomend judo first. Since he's already done some striking, judo will get him standing and ground grappling, as opposed to only standing. If you can do them at the same time though, do both.

it's not a ground grappling art.

not jiu jitsu.... nobody is sure. BJJ descends from judo, which descends from jiu jutsu. However, there is no traceable connection of jj to china that can be verified. It's been said that it came froma shuai chiao guy who was hired to teach the japanese, but there is more SC influence in sumo wrestling than in jj.

Also, with the weight on the back leg, as with a cat stance, for example, you're not quite as mobile, similar to a MT kick stance. I'd take the opportunity to put forward pressure on you.

MT has a technique called the cut kick - it's a roundhouse the the supporting leg. it's used when the knee is raised, as in when you leg block. Alsowith little support on that front leg, I'd kick the inside of the leg and not the outside, if I decided to kick the front instead of the rear.

not if his knee is bent. I see what you're getting at though. I can't really give an oppionion on it though, as I don't think the pain of the kick would be the same to the groin. It's got that thrusting power, but it's not making that same connection with the sack than a kick coming straight upward at it does. Like I said though, that's a guess, I'm not certain.

Not to intentionally play devil's advocate or anything, but he also trained in jiu jitsu, so he had some notion of how to grapple...

class is fairly structured, but a damn good workout. In MT, we usually start with about 6-9 minutes (the equivalent of 2-3 rounds) of jumping rope. After that, we stretch, then do various agility and bodyweight exercises - plyometrics, shadowboxing, medicine ball work, jumping jacks, shuffling, mountain climbers, etc. and various line drills. After that, we move into what we are working for that session. If we are working elbows, for example, we break out the pads, and do various drills with those strikes. We end class with either bag work, sparring or something terrifying, like 5-10-5's. The BJJ and judo classes go about the same way - calesthenics, learning/drilling, then rolling. There's so much movement involved though - great work out, keeps you sweating and pushing. When I'm on my own, I do line drills, bodyweight stuff, shadowfighting, jump rope, etc. I do everything for my standup in rounds of 3 mins and everything for grappling in rounds of 5. The reason being is because that's how long rounds are in the ring. You can grapple for 20 mins straight, jump for 20 mins straight, etc., but that will throw off your pacing in a ring fight, as you have been pacing yourself based on a 20 min round, not a 5 min round. If you want to go 20 mins, do 4 rounds of 5 mins, or 7 rounds of 3 mins (you even get an extra minute in there!)

not necessarily. A roundhouse to the sciatic or to the knee can both deaden your leg quickly. Not being able to move is like taking the bullets out of your gun. a groin shot doesn't always have an immediate effect in a fight. neither does a leg kick, but from prior experience, in a choice between groin and knee, I choose knee.

I haven't read this thread for several pages, so I may have missed something, but ifyou were gonna say that what he does has it's roots in china, you may be wrong...

stomps are fine. I wouldn't put definite faith in the groin kick though. When Adrenaline is flowing, it's just not always effective. As for the phoenix eye and spleen 4, I'm just listing techniques in general, not necessarily the ones on your list. If a pressure point annoys you, that doesn't mean it's doing it's job. I can resist those all day. If it annoys you and produces a reaction, then it's doing it's job. As far as what I train for, I just train. What I train has and will continue to serve me well in both the ring and the street, so I don't train specifically for one or the other. What do you train for?

you are both right, but looking from different perspectives, since you train different things. Venezolano has striking experience. But, if he can't handle the guy, he's gonna take him down. He's a bjj guy, so he knows how to get back up efficiently, and he knows how to break quickly. you do traditional jj and prefer stand up grappling. both have their advantages and faults, obviously. But you do agree on the fact that you should be well rounded. Now, as far as specializing goes, that doesn't mean you're not well rounded. I've been striking for 20 years. I've only been doing grappling, (stand up and ground) for a total of about 4. Obviously, my specialty is striking. But, I know how to grapple also. Specialization is cool as long as you know how to handle other ranges. that still makes you well rounded.

Also, take beginners into consideration. you can't show a beginner spleen 4 and expect him to hit it in combat. Same goes for most other pressure points. These are things that aren't learned quickly. Basic, core techniques are the key. For that very reason, I'd pick a 6 month thai boxer over a 6 month TMA any day. Once again, their training is their edge, not how many techniques they know.

1. you don't practice them full power. 2. because of this, you don't know what it will do to me. some pressure points don't work on some people, as with some locks. I've got friends with really flexible wrists - wrist locks are useless on them. I have big, strong, flexible legs - it's VERY hard to tap me with any type of leg lock except for a heel hook. 3.in your example of flinching, you don't know how I'll flinch. I may weave, duck, rollback, etc. 4. since you don't do them full power, you don't know that you can even land it effectively. the most dangerous technique in the world is useless if you can't use it.

I don't really remember him, but the library has some of his old books. I'd say striking would be easier. You can convey the intricacies of a strike easier than techniques like a simple bjj sweep. there are a lot of details involved with grappling that are hard to catch on camera.

When I got back to the desk, I had more work than I planned - sorry about that. My normal regimen constists of training pretty much every day: Mon lunch - weights: chest/tris/shoulders Mon Night judo - 1.5 hrs, bjj 2 hrs Tues lunch - weights: back/biceps Tues night - judo - 2hrs, bjj- 1hr, muay thai - 1.5 hrs Wed lunch - weights: legs/chest Wed Night submission wrestling - 2.5 hrs Thurs lunch - weights: chest/tris/shoulders Thurs night - judo - 2hrs, bjj- 1hr, muay thai - 1.5 hrs Fri lunch - weights: legs/back Fri Night bjj/judo 2.5 hrs I usually do something on the weekend, but not in class. I may go up to the club and work the bag, or just lift and do bodyweight exercises at home. when I'm training for a fight, I concentrate specifically on the venue. For example, if there's a judo tourney coming up, most of my gym time will consist of cable drills, shadow throwing, etc. In class, I focus on the throws and takedowns I use most, and do plenty of cardio, usually in the form of jumping rope. Do you want detail as to what I do in class, or is this along the lines of what you were looking for?

I currently train in bjj, judo, shuai chiao and muay thai. I've had some full contact fights and plenty of judo matches, but haven't stepped into the mma arena yet, however I plan to. We've got several guys at the club who do fight mma though. I'll list my training when I get back - I'm on my lunch break and headed to the gym.

I'll find out and let you know. A purple belt I train with is from kansas and just moved back there.