mtheiss

I am glad I could help. But remember, extra "5 minute" sessions sometimes take too long anyway.

Please do not let anything turn into something which dominates every other concern in your life, it is then considered as serious an addiction to more well known syndromes.

I think dojos have the right to set sparring rules (even padding sparring is worth a look due to disipline and training uses). However, personally, I do have preference to non-padded schools. As I said in another post, however, I think propsective students and parents should have a real choice in their local area. Instructors should have a good servey of all the local schools in the area to immediately refer individuals to one where the instructor feels the parent or the student's view of sparring best fits. Martin

My friends, Anyone who starts a legitimate martial arts school runs under the credo in my opinion of fair play, open enrollment, and comprehensive human respect. Individuals who feel they can take on training athletes are obviously stupid due to their lack of respect to the given person, the sport, and the natural barriers untrained fighters have against the real thing. Please do not respect people who decide to disrespect martial arts by disregarding what I said. Martin

What are "knockdown rules" tournaments? Would like to know.

Thank you, thanks for the info. I feel "corrected".

I do not think a given age is important as far as when is the good time to start any martial art (or hobby for that matter). However, no one asked this person yet if he wants to be competitive or not. I think that is an important question to determine what his intentions are at this stage.

Not all legitimate training centers in my experience suscribe to the "3 point format" which you refer to. Niether do they figure it is appropriate to refrain from shoving a fighter into the ring (if there is one!). I do admit I have a unique autism-related disorder which gives me insight into real world decisions which some people like you dismiss as being either crazy or not appropriate for mainline thinkers. I have responded to a private message from Pineapple about some of his sensei concerns, but of course I would like to ask for some information from you too. I know most training centers do not invest in the traditional 20 by 20 ring, and leave their sparring matches to "the mat". Still, I rationalize that outsiders like me have a lot to learn about this subject, and I am eager and willing to handle this like a man if you would be interested in a short diologe into this form of thinking. Your friend, Martin

Hi you two, I confess I did post something reciently about the same topic, but then I did not anticipate the normal karate class practice is to train several students together who can practice spar when there is a tournament coming up. However, what I did anticipate this time is a situation where there is a genuine situation where one student is trained by a coach and the coach decides to spring a match on her without warning. I guess this should be a learning experience for me after all, thank you. Martin

I am in the mind now to ask what you all think a respectable instructor should do if he sees his star lady ready for a knockout sparring match, but plans not to tell her a thing before the big event just is slammed in her face moments before the match. What should he do with her in the last several weeks and days before the match in ways where you think you do not think he will tip her off. Martin

Hi, I am not into any martial arts myself, but I think American karate or perhaps arobic kickboxing could be a relatively good start. But if you are competitive, I would suggest muai thai or a more assertive karate style. Again, I think that American schools might have problems in some places of establishing international standards in terms of the quality of assertive and well rounded athletes. One point, I think it would be good for the sport to open gym vs gym karate sparring to the general public on the free basis. Experementally, I think it would guage some input into how to popularize the sport. Martin

When the lady and her coach (mother) walks out to the fight deck, they see a young bare chested man of the same height and physical build as the athlete. Then the mother gives her the word. Her best friend is another coach and they decided that it would be best if the young woman would prove that she was ready to kill. This guy is the son of the other coach and he is no joke in the ring himself. Her job will be not only to servive this battle but also to prove to her mother and her friend that she is worth their trust and honor.

I did not intend to make the story change that our friend requested when I made up the poll. I have decided it would be wrong now to suggest making your change. Please understand that the matter was a serious situation which I made up that of course I can explain if anyone is daring enough to ask me to finish the story. However, I wanted to float what I already wrote down first before being comitted to the action of introducing a topic of conversation which I figure may be conterversial. Thank you, Martin

Sorry, Oh well, it would be nice to talk about it with you Mac. To be honest, I do not know the system that defines what is normally considered a good sparring system. As for this, it is just a story, but I do plan a "bombshell" in the next few posts. Lets change this for your sake. She has some good experience in the serious knockout sparring circuit, but she now feels some "boredom" over the thing and wants some serprise. I will plan to give it to you but I would want some posts beforehand from people accepting that they will plan for anything. Martin

Hi, This young lady is a 2nd Dan in karate. She is no slouch. However, she has no sparring experience. As for her gentleman opponent, he has had some sparring experience and is doing really well. The point of the encounter is to prove if the girl is prepared to be taken seriously as a professional trainee. Martin

One last comment, As far as the rules of the match, both of the fighters have been trained in "full contact" karate, but they are both prepared to, how can we say it, take advantage of any "during fight" situation although they are told to try to keep the fight to "standing karate" as much as possible. Bye.

Dear Penda, Please accept my thanks for your post. Relax. She was trained well for it. The matter of the lack of notice was simply a tatic to reduce the training strain on her mind so she should be ready to fight. The whole point of this particular match is to prove to see if our lady is worth professional treatment. All I am saying is that afterward that point would be real clear depending or not if she wins. Thank you, Martin

Hi, I have read your comments and questions. She expressed to the sensei a few months ago (probably around six or so) that she was prepared for high level training worthy for a "professional" fighter. The sensei, like now, did not laugh at her. The sensei knew that her student was worth the effort. She trained her like hell and on the day of the fight it was a "lighter" training effort but not remarkable otherwise. I figure the big question on your minds is the identity of our serprise opponent. I will not answer that question other than the identity being someone worth "testing" her to prove she was a realistic fighter. There has been no study of "tapes" on either side (partially knowing that on our end there are no tapes availible because she has never sparred before) and the sensei intentially left the whole matter secret until "the serprise". Out of respect to the fact that I assume most of my respondants are honest and ethical karate athletes, there will be no comment as to the rules of this particular fight, until I recieve a few posts allowing me to have an "open mind" about it. My only other major comment at this point is to say the two trainers were best friends since childhood, our trainer being a woman, and the "unknown" trainer being a man who shares her views on proper and general training skills including among other things what good athletes should exhibit outside the gym. Thank you for your interest, Martin

I am sorry that I was confusing at first as to the punchline. It is a story that is not finished at this point. That is intentional. But a few people are right here assuming this is a staged match with a "fly in" opponent leaving her in the dark until ten minutes before the fight. And no, the one we will fight did not have any "sleepless nights" in the couple weeks before the match and relished the chance to do their bidding on a target which as you all well know would be ready for the match aside of course of the "mental block" prospects. I hope this is enough for you to work on for a few days. Martin

Hello, I am sorry that many of you were unable to read my post. Here is a rewrite of the situation. We are in the shower room of the dojo. The young lady is finished with a kata and light workout day. When she gets out of the shower expecting to leave, she is "confronted" with a new gi and the note saying she has to be ready for a fight in ten minutes. Nothing more is on it to suggest who she will fight, no idea if there will be any officiating, only that she is to put on the gi and be ready to be hauled out ten minutes after the water noise is turned off. Other than of course this is a bare knuckle fight, I hope this rewrite would suffice as to solving your issues. Thank you for the feedback, Martin

Sin, I have a broader view of the world than you would expect from a non-complicit American such as myself. I see the martial arts as more than simply the soft school training and semi-serious contact "sparring" matches one finds out about if they are involved enough with gyms to be invited to one. I am also a law abiding individual. Still, I am not too "comfortable" with the nature of what I would say if I would come out explaining my views about what I would assume to be a "proper" match condition, pointing out the nature of anthropology deems it not proper for an outside individual to judge what is right and what is wrong to do in a culture without first being completely aware and judgemental about what are the general views of people inside the given community. Martin

Ten year olds in the USA are rather weak these days. However, if you go to a gym or to a regular karate class I am sure your coach would hook your brother up with a few good fights in a few months if he behaves himself and proves himself in kata testing (such as belts). On the other hand, please explain to your brother that fighting in public is not only illegal in most places but in my experience is a shunned form of conduct in many experienced martial arts circles. Not just saying that "trained fighters" are that much more dangerous in fights.

Ok, as I tried to explain before, I am not into karate styles but just an observer. However, there is this pressing question on my mind which I have been pondering for a while. We are at a serious karate gym, and one of the young lady students, 20 years old, suggests to the boss that she wants to go pro. After a few months of serious workouts and heavy hitting the lady coach finds out that one of her best friends has "another fighter" who is ready to go for a major fight. After a light workout on a day which would not be remarkable on her training schedule the young woman finds out that her coach slipped in the shower room while she was in the shower and left her favorite gi out. There is a note saying that she is listening to the noise of the shower water and is starting a ten minute clock to grab her for a big match instantly when she is sure the water has turned off. She will not say who she will fight, nor what the rules are (if any), and she has to be prepared for "everything" when the coach comes in to take her out for the "fight".

Hi, I do understand many men, especially veteran martial artists, have some interest in the development of women in the martial arts. As for competitors like LR, one wonders what could happen if it was rutine or considered "acceptable" for mainstream martial arts competitors and kickboxers to face off men vs women in major venues to increase the options of fights for individuals who have concerns the "solid wall" creates inpediments for interested people and competitors. However, I do have some personal views which I will explain if someone is interested. I just wonder how people would feel about me here. I am more into TKD, karate, and upright styles rather than being a jiu jitsu fan. Thank you, Martin

Even though I am not a martial artist, I would like to express interest in things like m vs f and f vs f bouts in realistic situations. Unfortunately, i have some problems understanding human nature, and thus I think I express some extreme views over the subject, but then, some people have told me that I am rational. I will leave it at that. Martin