Scorcho

I know, I was actually hoping to get some personalized advice, but I will go to google if I have to.

That would be awesome!

Nobody?

Hi, I have a friend who has experience in Shorinji-Ryu Karate (sp?) and is in Munich, Germany for the year. She asked me if I could help her find any good karate or JJ schools in Munich and I was wondering if you guys could help me out. Anyone from Munich or know of any good schools/instructors there? Thanks!

Thanks man! Will try all that out.

Hey! I have been studying TJJ for 3 years at college, and have started going to a Vale Tudo club while I am at home over the summer. Though my ground game is pretty good, I am having some trouble getting out of the triangle. The defenses I know are to keep the arm that is "in" the triangle on the same side as its shoulder (ie, not allow my opponent to pull it to the other side), but this is more of a stalling tactic, and does not get me out of the choke. Any advice on how to get out of the triangle no gi? Thanks!

Thanks for the advice guys. I will give it a try - Carefully, of course. As my sensei always says, you want to be able to reuse your ukes (partners).

Hey, I am a brown belt at my TJJ dojo, and we practice some ne waza (BJJ style ground grappling) every week. Recently, I have been finding myself in position for a toe hold quite often, but have never been able to finish it. I get my inside hand on the top of my opponent's foot, and use my outside hand to get under his achilles and grap my own wrist. From there, however, I can never actually get the tap, no matter how much pressure I try to put on. Any suggestions? Does the leg have to be straight or something like that? Thanks for the help!

Hey, anyone know a good online resource for learning leg locks (ie knee bar, foot lock, heel hook, etc). We rarely do groundfighting at my Ju-Jitsu dojo, and even when we do, we recieve little formal instruction on locks. I know a few of these are quite dangerous (eg heel hook) but I would just like a little info since I see these techniques done so often in MMA matches. It seems like there are so many possible locks on the legs that I know nothing about. Thanks!

Especially with gun disarms, make sure you start talking to distract you assailant. Pleedingly saing "don't hurt me" relaxes him and puts him off his guard.

Awesome post!

So kindof like the wing chun guard which is like "searching hand, guarding hand" Exactly. That's a good way of expressing it.

So kindof like the wing chun guard which is like "searching hand, guarding hand" Exactly. That's a good way of expressing it.

Both hands open, front hand leads. It is a two layer defensive guard (ie if it gets past my front hand, my rear hand is there to pick it up). Karate styles have a guard. I am not sure that you can say that karate has one universal guard.

I agree with a lot of what has been said, but there is hope! K-1 is now the most watched Pay-Per-View in the states, and keeps getting more and more cable broadcasting throughout Europe on the Eurosport network. The purse for this years winner was $400,000. Not quite up to boxing standards, but still quite respectable. Do your part, watch K-1!

Aikijitsu. It has the non-violent approach of Aikido, blended with the easier to learn Ju-Jitsu.

Happy Hollidays. Enjoy the time off from school for more practice! Ous!

Check this site out, although I think that it will be hard to learn from. Also, check out the movie Only the Strong. http://www.wu-wien.ac.at/usr/h96b/h9650297/cap-basics.html

Nice article. The fact that it is written by a Judoka shows the similarities of all MAs to each other.

The Boxer beating up the karateka is really irrelavant. Try putting on gloves (not the whimpy karate sparring gloves, but real 12 oz. boxing gloves) and sparring a bit. It's a whole different ballgame. Gloves change the way you block, the way you move, even the way you think. While boxers have a fitness and resistance to blow advantage, on the street, I think that the karateka may get the nod because all or most of his/her practice is bare-knuckled. It depends on the training/sensei though.

The Boxer beating up the karateka is really irrelavant. Try putting on gloves and sparring a bit. It's a whole different ballgame. Gloves change the way you block, the way you move, even the way you think. While boxers have a fitness and resistance to blow advantage, on the street, I think that the karateka may get the nod because all or most of his/her practice is bare-knuckled. It depends on the training/sensei though.

The stance is taylored to the competition format. In competition where heavy gloves are used and the object is to KO your opponent, a shorter stance is usually best. This is doubly true for K-1, because the legs are a target, though you see much variation there as a result of the mixed backgrounds of the participants. This does not mean that MAs which advocate deeper and/or longer stances are wrong or less useful. Their competition formats are just different. As for on the street, I think that bare knuckled fighting where grabbing and grappling is possible is significantly different from Kickboxing. I believe a deeper stance may be better on the street, but what your training has taught you is probably best, since it is what you are used to and have experience with.

You'd be surprised. Lots of crazy people out there.

I'd recommend working your diet with fitness at the same time. You hear so much about diets that promise results quickly and with no physical activity. That can't be healthy, because it is not natural. The reason people end up with exess tissue and skin, is because they lost weight too quickly. Go slowly and try and replace your body fat with muscle. That will make you stronger and more active, and make you look better, than if you just lose some pounds. Aerobics are real important, but so is lifting. Just find something that is fun and works for you. Working out shouldn't be a chore. It should be fun!

I studied Ashihira Karate at a dojo on a foreign exchange program in Berlin this fall. It is a full contact Japanese Karate style, with two person katas, and a real focus on fighting. It also has a few throws and more groundwork than you normally expect from Karate.