pmh1nic

P.S. Reacting is one thing, reacting properly is another. Stepping straight back or leaning backwards or to one side or another are reactions that can put you at a disadvantage. Blocking, angling, moving your base while maintaining your balance are key ingrediates in effectively counter an attack.

I had numerous fights as a teenager growing up in Manhattan and in The Bronx (probably 20 ~ 25 during that time). Most were very quick (a barage of punches to a takedown, technical knockout or a choke). This was 30 years ago before I had any formal martial arts training. Acknowledging a threat early on, getting the first punch in and sustaining a barage of punches is almost unbeatable. At 5'6" and 140 lbs most of my fights were with guys bigger than me and being small you don't have a lot to give away. The biggest mistake most people make is letting a potential attacker close the distance (getting within striking distance where the attacker doesn't have to step/commit to striking). You have to have very fast reflexes to move or block an attack from this distance. For most it is essential that you maintain a distance from the attacker that allows you time to react to a punch or kick.

Pacificshore I'm not sure what style you practice and maybe I'm misunderstand your statement but the foot work for moving left or right is the same whether you're in a fighting stance with your left foot forward or right foot forward. If you move left your left foot moves first then your right. If your moving right your right foot moves first then your left. I practice Jiu-Jitsu and I've done some boxing and it's always move left, left foot moves first (opposite going right) regardless of which foot is forward.

Maintance...at 50 years old I'm just trying to maintain what I have . Seriously, I'm working on becoming more fluid on my left side. Take downs, throws, joint locks, etc. I've got a good amount of fluidity in all my techniques working against a right hand attacker but in many areas my left side technique still requires some thinking and in a "real" situation there is no time for thinking.

You may want to get an x-ray if the pain persist. There might be a hairline fracture. If someone throws a relatively low roundhouse kick I was trained to lift the leg on the side the kick is coming. That may account for the contact with your sparring partner's knee. I was sparring with a guy who threw a roundhouse kick to towards my ribs that got "instinctively" blocked by my elbow. His instep blew up like a balloon. The dropping and pulling in of my elbows wasn't intentionally meant to hurt him but to protect my ribs.

Yes.

It's allowed me at fifty to do things most thirty-five year olds can't do. My strength, speed, agility, coordination and reflexes are actually better now than they were ten years ago. Along with the health benefits (both physical and mental) I've gain some very effective self-defense skills and have discovered a deeper connection between body, mind and spirit.

I think each person needs to ask themselves why they want to train in the martial arts and then decide which art meets those needs. If you want to train so that you can participate in NHB events then you better cross train under very realistic conditions. If you want to train "just to get some exercise and stay limber" then you don't have to be so concerned with many of the things mentioned in the original post. The benefit of cross training under realistic conditions is you will be better physical and mental condition to prevail in a fight whether it's in the ring or out. The drawback is the time and energy commitment you'll have to make and the increased risk of injury this realistic training may entail. The benefit of training in XYZ generic martial art is that it will give you some benefits in the way of exercise, improving your reflexes and coordination, and learn some basic fighting skill. Will you be ready to enter the UFC ring? NO. Will you be as well prepared for a physical confrontation in the street as the realistically, cross trained individual? NO. But another benefit will be that you will have more time and energy to pursue other areas of life (time with family, pursuing other hobbies, having more time to invest in your vocation, etc.) and you will probably have minimized your risk and exposure to injury. Each individual has to balance out his own needs and desires with the type of training they chose.

I appreciate the responses. I've been a 1st Dan BB for five years. I regularly work out with 1st ~ 5th degree BB's (as well as lower ranking students) and I know the techniques required for the higher ranks but just never went throught the testing process. For me the major change since achieving 1st Dan has been mental. The mental change is to some extent (as someone else mentioned) manifested in having a much easier time assimilating new technique (although a lot of what is "new" is really a new variation of something I already know). Teaching (I've been teaching since before 1st Dan but the last year or so I've been teaching 5-8 class a week) has been a tremendous learning experience for me not only in really forcing me to focus on the fundamentals of a particular technique but in bringing out a creative side to my martial arts training. I'm beginning to develop my own "new" variations. I say "new" because although the variation may be new to me (never formally taught to me) it is probably not really new in that I'm sure someone, somewhere has done it before. Anyway, I'm discovering as someone notes in their signature that BB is really the begin of an exciting and wonderful learning process.

Excellent article and a IMHO the right way to approach martial arts and life in general.

For those that have progressed beyond 1st Dan Black Belt, what are the biggest improvements you have made in your martial arts skills since you achieved 1st Dan? Or has the major improved been in your understanding of the art rather than adding technique to your skill set?

1st Dan Black Belt in Jiu-Jitsu. I've also study Arnis for nine years but in my school it's considered part of the requirement for the BB in Jiu-Jitsu.

Interesting discussion. I want to make two points that may not be directly related to the initial question but address some things mentioned in the tread. Safety in the dojo is paramount. Yes, I understand the need to try to make training realistic. I also understand that my boss could care less how I broke my collar bone or fractured an arm or leg in my realistic BJJ or TJJ training. He expects me, and my family is depending on me, to be at my computer on Monday taking care of business. Any dojo where a badge of honor is won based on how many injuries happen each month needs to have a serious review of its training practices. The vast majority of people training in the martial arts are not training to entire NHB competitions. The type of realistic training involved in preparing for a NHB event may require training at a more intense level that presents a high level of risk of injury. Police officers whose occupation pretty much guarantees they're going to face physical confrontations on a regular basis need to train at a higher level of realism. For the average person the desire to increase the intensity of training needs to be balanced against the reality that the vast majority of people may never be involved in a physical confrontation where they will have to use their martial arts skills against another individual let alone another trained individual. Don't get me wrong. I want to learn and teach practical effective techniques. I want and my students need to experience a level of realism during their training. None of our training guarantees success in every situation. The best we can do is increase the odds that we'll survive a confrontation. But the need for realistic training must be balanced with a concern for safety in the dojo and the reality that the vast majority of students do not face a high level of risk of having a serious physical confrontation.

from the ground up I think the issue is once you've learned and practice a particular stance and/or form of move and you've done it over hundreds or thousands of hours it is difficult or impossible to learn a new stance and form of movement that is contrary to or quite different from the form that has become "natural" to you after thousands of hours of practicing it. I think if you're going to cross train you have to find another art that is fundamentally the same as and compliments the one you've gained some expertise in.

Good eyes Martial_Artist . Thanks for the breakdown of the meaning of the word.

Northren Ogre first point is key. Another is distance. If at all possible never, ever let anyone who might be a threat get within striking distance (punching or kicking) where they can strike you without having to commit (step) in order to make contact. How often do you see two guys get in each others face while arguing. That's a major no, no.

Martial_Artist Yes, the spelling is correct. The principle instructor is Professor Amante Marinas. The art does utilize many weapons including sticks of differing lengths, the ring, balisong, horsewhip, etc. My training has primarily centered around single and two stick techniques taught by Grandmaster Bob Malvagno.

My son wanted to take lesson and I figured I take him around to a few place and sit in on the lessons to get an idea of what he was learning and a sense of the character of the people teaching him. Well I was quickly bit by the MA bug. I became very interested in the physics, body dynamics and the mental aspects of martial arts and self-defense. It's been nine years since that first class. Now, in addition to my continued interest in the things mentioned above, there is the added very interesting and challenging aspects of learning to teach martial arts to people with differing abilities (both physical, mental and emotional).

I agree with what most have said. You have to judge each instructor individually. I've seen 1st Dan instructors that were very knowledgable and profession in their instruction and I've seen 3rd and 4th Dans who weren't very good a "teaching" technique.

I've really enjoyed training in an offshoot of Kali called Pananadata. Although Pananadata involves a variety of weapons most of my training has centered around single and two stick techniques. It can be a great workout. It doesn't look like it takes much energy to swing the sticks but try doing a two stick workout with a partner hitting into each others sticks and in five minutes you'll be feeling the effects . It's a great means of developing coordination, balance and foot work and many of the forms have empty hand applications.

Thanks to all for your advise and insight.

Shorin Ryuu I think the misunderstanding may have to do with how you define the word aggressive or aggression. Aggressiveness does not necessarily mean anger or emotion. The M-W dictionary defines aggression as "marked by driving forceful energy or initiative." That's the type of aggressive attitude required in sparring.

For most people the opposite is true and it's keeping the aggression under control that's the problem. I try to view sparring more as a learning experience rather than a competition. That said there is a certain aggressiveness required to be effective in sparring. It's better to take control, beat the opponent to the punch and dictate the pace of the sparring rather than try to be a counter puncher. The only way to learn it is to do it. Force yourself to throw the first punch, if there is a lull in the action force yourself to take the initiative. Throw combinations rather than single strikes. You may want to have someone that's viewing the sparring dictate when you are to throw a punch by yelling hit or punch or strike (maybe something not so obvious so only you'll know the signal).

I've been a Jiu-Jitsu practioner for nine years and have considered some type of cross training (not because I see any great deficiency in Jiu-Jitsu but because I'm interested in other arts). Unfortunately based on what I've seen learning another discipline (I've considered Wing Chun, Shalin Gung Fu, Karate, etc.) would require modifying (in some cases substantially) the basic principles I've learned and practiced for the nine years I've been training in Jiu-Jitsu (things like stance, mechanics of movement, striking and blocking, etc.). My question is how does anyone really cross over and become proficient in a different style without unlearning the principles they've learned and repeated thousands of times?