Scorcho

There is a counter to every technique, and a counter to the counter, etc. Fighting is a mind game. If you're really good, you will think and react without even realizing it. But that doesn't mean you're not thinking. It just means you've been well trained.

Thanks guys. That was a big help!

MMA on ESPN? Post the next time you see it (or even better, let us know ahead of time). It ticks me off that almost all MMA is Pay-Per-View.

I am a Uechi-Ryu karate-ka and will remain so forever, no matter how much cross training I do at college and other places where I have no dojo. I liked the comment about it all coming back to basics. Our first and most important kata in Uechi is San Chin, which literally means "The Three Conflicts," i.e. between mind, body and spirit. Though I love the external parts of the arts I practice, it is the internal art (regardless of style) that is the key for me.

Working with a partner can harden your muscles, though. It also teaches you how to "recieve" blows to the thighs with the least pain.

Kicking with the toe is a more realistic simulation of shoes-on fighting that kicking with the ball of the foot, or at least I think that it is. Anyway, in Uechi, we kick with out toes, but only to certain areas. We also condition out toes with a funky exercise known as "tiger toes."

Depends on your goals, but doing both is best. My personal experience/opinion is that it is better to start with internal, and then move to external, especially if you are starting as a child. Internal arts give you a base, and the mind set necessary to be successful in the external arts, as well as in life.

Depends from what position. There are innumerable takedowns, with many complicated names, but they all work of the same principles, just from different positions. Dispite what many people say, I think that you can pull Nage (throws) like an Ogoshi (especially the way BJJ guys practice it) off on the street.

Where did you hear about this? I follow MMA, etc. and havn't picked up on anything about it.

At my Ju-Jitsu/Aikido dojo we do free sparring every day. I often get my opponent into the triangle as they try to break out of the guard. Yet for some reason, no matter how well I lock my right foot under the knee of my left, the choke never works. I have tried pulling forward on my opponent's head, but that doesn't help either. Usually it doesn't matter because I can transition into an armbar by moving my left leg over my opponent's head, but it still bothers me that I cannot get the triangle to work. Anybody else have similar problems? Any suggestions?

Not mirroring. You are adjusting your block to the attack being thrown. When there is no attack (ie in kata or when practicing) the full range of the block is used. When blocking an actual attack, only the part that is necessary is used, because there is not enough time to do the complete circle.

I can try. The block is called a circle block, because it moves in a circle, covering pretty much your whole upper body. In a real fight, you can skip a few steps of the circle, and go directly to where the attack is. I'm not sure if that helps, but it's the best I can do.

Thanks a lot for the info, and for the correction on the names. No insult was intended to those who participate in the Olympics, it just looks kind of funny to a karate-ka like me. Anyway, thanks.

I know that there are two (at least) federations for TKD fighting, and I hope I got the names right. One is used in the Olympics, and at least in my understanding and from what I saw, has almost no scoring for hand techniques. The other uses hands, though only straight punches. Which is which? What are the other differences? As a karate practicioner, I find TKD in the Olympics funny because the guys will be two feet appart and trying to kick each other, but what do you TKD practicioners think?

Looks can be decieving. Obviously the big, sweeping circular wawuke blocks you see traditional stylists like me practicing don't work of the street. The block is meant to cover your stomach, opposite shoulder, head, shoulder, and then lock. In a real fight, or in partner drills, the block will skip a few of those steps, and go directly to where the danger is (if the strike is to the head, the block will go directly there). I think it is very effective, because it leaves you with a grip on your opponent's arm, steeing you up for powerful punches and elbows to the face.

Stay on the ground. Being rooted is very important, because it allows you not only to torque you hips, but also to take full advantage of you most powerful muscles in your legs and back.

I take Aikido and JuJitsu together at college, and our training inculdes lots of randori and free-fighting with resistance. I think that the style of training is much more important that the style, at least as far as effectiveness is concerned.

TKD training probably makes you a good stand up fighter. I would try TJJ, BJJ, Aikijitsu, or something else that focuses on ground fighting. That will make you a complete fighter.

I don't know about UFC, but I know that the purse for the K1 Grand Prix Champ was $400,000 this year. I know that most fighters fight in multiple competitions, to increase their chances of success and their salary. As far as second jobs, I would be surprised if any work a regular day job. Most probably work as fitness trainers or something like that at their gym/dojo.

Yea, it is surprising how many people don't realize that there are blocks in boxing.

Hey, I studied traditional Uechi-Ryu Karate for 14 years, and have recently taken up Jiu-Jitsu and Aikido at college. It has become more than apparant to me that my thin karate gi cannot take the beating the throws and ground fighting in Ju-Jitsu put on it for much longer. My sensei sells gis, but they are this incredibly ugly yellowish color. I was just wondering if anyone could recommend a plain white gi for Ju-Jitsu to me (a little thicker, possibly with reinforced knees). If it was possible to order it over some web site, that would be great too. Thanks a lot.

Ya Uechi! If you want more info on Uechi, you can check out O'Sensei Mattson's site https://www.uechi-ryu.com.

At my dojo we do a lot of leg conditioning with low kicks. The real reason kickboxers and MT have an advantage over karatekas is twofold. First, Kickboxing adn MT usually focus on physical conditioning more, so the fighters are usually in better shape. The other is that we karatekas always have to go and fight kickboxers and MT practicioners in their rings, by their rules. That is why most good K-1 fighters who were originally karatekas, are not sucessful until they basically become kickboxers. I.e. you cannot tell Andy Hug was a karateka from his technique. The pressure of fighting under kickboxing rules is a great disadvantage to karatekas, though some styles, like kyokushinkai are starting to focus on glove fighting (instead of bare hand fighting) now as well. Thanks to all who posted. Good luck!

As goes for Sanchin, my Sensei does not test with a straight leg groin kick to see if your knees are together enough. He believes in solid stances, and does not think that pulling the knees in does much good. I am inclined to agree. In Uechi we generally keep a pretty wide Sanchin, a little wider than the shoulders, so it is not really possible to keep the knees that together anyway. My Sensei does test our arms in sanchin, he punches to the stomach and chest, low kicks to thighs and calfs, high roundhouse or punches to the lat, double strike to the traps (neck), and he often stands on the calf of our back foot at the end.

Many stances are als transitionary. You can slide into them during a certain strite. You do not fight out of them per se, they are only used in with certain attacks.