White Warlock

taste like chicken (( i never tire of saying that ))

I'm really not sure what it is you want at this point, despite reading this entire thread. Are you hoping for information on how to avoid being grappled while stand-up, on how to keep from going to the ground, or on how to handle yourself while on the ground? Or are you hoping to utilize grappling in one or all of these scenes? I mean, i understand you're asking for what you need considering you have no training in any of it, but i keep coming back to... "get training in it," rather than hunt and peck. The reason i say this is because it looks as if you're trying to obtain some techniques, rather than gain a grasp of the principles associated with it all. At the moment i'm trying to work on nailing the principles. I have a firm grasp of the techniques for all stages and a firm grasp of the principles for standup and takedown, but am presently trying to quantify the principles for groundwork. If you want me to present some of the principles for standup and takedown, i suppose i could do that, but like i said... i'm not sure if you want to learn the stuff, or want to learn how to defend against the stuff. If it's the latter, if you are hoping to learn how to defend against it... i would say you're trying to learn how to block before you learn how to strike.

I think falls are a great beginning. Regardless of whether you study judo or bjj, you have to land in order get to the ground. Falls instruct you how to land, and without it, there would be a lot of injured n00blets during the takedown/throw phase. But, really, i think the first thing i teach is to respect your partner. They are putting themselves in harms way for your education.

I'm reasonably sure he was inferring that if the opportunity presents itself, call the police before getting into a conflict. I.e., if you see the problem in advance, 911. If not, well then of course you can't make a phone call. However, someone else can. I'm not sure i see the purpose in your post...

How could anything be equal here, when we're talking about two entirely different lifestyles and absolutely zero background on the exposure either of these two had to one or the other's paths in life? I mean, if the MA had never fought a real fight, but had watched a thousand tapes about real fights, he would have significant exposure to factors presented in such. As well, if the street fighter really didn't receive any formal training whatsoever but had studied a thousand videotapes on martial arts... The background of these persons influence their stated perceptions and approach to things. They may see a movie, watched Seagal, and attempted to imitate some of the techniques with his friends, or with his victims. Training does not have to be formal, and that goes both ways. While a street fighter (again, whatever that is) can learn by watching an MA movie or training video, so can an MAer learn by watching street fights, live or on video. Life just isn't the grand and dubious laboratory, and man just doesn't think, nor act, like lab rats.

pepper spray used against me would get you 2nd degree murder. it's not such a good idea, despite all the hype about it. http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/6416/smith-ok.html http://mediafilter.org/CAQ/CAQ56pepper.html

Agreed Justful, i've made the mistake of mentioning such things at previous worksites, and it undermines things. People who are not self-confident become difficult, posing the extremes you mentioned. On the other hand, i've learned that by openly talking about it, i cut through the tensions. For example, when those two guys asked, they were trying to start up dialog, but you clammed up. Probably the best thing you could have done at that moment was ask them if they had any training. By their answers, you could determine if they were interested, or simply needling you. I gather they were curious, and you could then have gone into chatting about some of the various nuances, and a few of the bloopers. It could very well have turned into a friendly & fun educational seminar. That's how my scenes turn out nowadays... in most cases. Sharing presents trust and friendship. I.e., by sharing your knowledge you are 'entrusting' to them something they would otherwise have to obtain by training. By trusting, you open up the doorway to friendship. At any point you can opt to close that door, but a discussion isn't going to make them adept, or any more of a threat than they were thirty minutes prior... so the risk is virtually non-existent and the gains can be great.

i've come to the conclusion there's little actual talent in things. It's just practice, practice, practice. A child may practice things and the parents may subject things to a child, but neither of them may be aware of the redundancy of the actions, and thus not aware the child is become adept at something because of this repetition. Such is the case with my writing, or my drawing, or my climbing, or any of the other things i do. I wasn't born talented, i simply practiced by doing... over and over and over again. As well, there is the argument about 'smart people,' as opposed to 'dumb.' Now, we do know there are some physiological factors that can intervene in this argument, just as there are some physical factors that can intervene in someone being able to perform rudimentary actions... but i'm not talking about that, i'm talking about the norm. In this norm, there is a tendency for people to shunt themselves. Whether it be due to wanting to 'fit in,' having parents constantly telling you you're as dumb as a rock, having a series of events that made you feel... less intelligent, becoming unwilling to spend the time to 'grasp' or understand things, having a different means of learning that is not encouraged by the educational institution you were subjected to, etc. I strongly feel that, generally speaking, people close their own minds to growth, and not that they merely had not the ability. I.e., just as being ignorant is a choice, so is being dumb a choice.

I don't know, but i've experienced similar effects. In the story above, these rehabilitating effects were the reason i pulled myself under after banging my elbow. And yes, my elbow was much better afterwards, although the rest of me was freakin' out.

It's a big factor, yes.

Justful, what you're referring to is the euphoric effect of an adrenal surge. However, one can experience such in a dojo and through other experiences in their lives. I've actually experienced the adrenal surge far more times outside of the 'label' of street fights, with incidents where people were injured or in need of emergency medical care, in dealing with patients at an emergency mental health center, vehicle 'close-calls,' actual accidents, bungee jumping, skydiving, entering a new and life-threatening/impacting environment, etc. My experience has presented to me that people who have 'absolutely no' training whatsoever do not fare well, no matter how many fights they get into. They simply guess and go with their reactions that are at a core misunderstanding of how to utilize their bodies for fullest effect. The problem with this question, and the inherent misnomer associated with the perception of street fighters, is that 'almost all' persons honor-branded that name do have a formal background in the arts... usually boxing or wrestling. Because of this, people hold to a false perception that street fighting teaches you something. It doesn't, at least not without some foundation to base your studies on. Instead, what it does is make your flaws more pronounced while making you more dependent on a few basic, and almost always telegraphing, actions. Another factor that undermines this poll is that many people, i can't fathom why, consider boxing and wrestling to be 'outside' of the realm of martial arts. So my argument presented above means nothing to them. I.e., the poll, in many people's eyes, doesn't say, "street fighter with no ma experience," it says, "street fighter with no ma experience, but probably some boxing/wrestling experience."

both are geared toward standup competitors

http://judoinfo.com/chokes5.htm

Kicks, i'm very familiar with the antics of auto insurance companies, having been struck '13' times by reckless and drunk drivers. You absolutely "MUST" go to an urgent care center or see your doctor within 48 hours of your accident, or you'll be screwed if later on you receive complications. Injuries from such type accidents can present themselves a month or more following, so while you are feeling a strained back now, you could very well have more disabling problems later. The impact you received was not small, and the fact your chair broke only adds to that. If there were any passengers, they need to be seen within 48 hours as well. When you go in to be seen, you need to present to them 'all' the physical changes you've encountered since the accident. 'Pulling' a clean-bill-of-health routine may be macho, but it's self-defeating. /tangent off

It... happens You train and train, drill on what it is you need to do and where it is you need to strike, and when the opportunity arises, it just... happens.

Aye

i understood, and i don't agree. All styles are not created equal, nor are all black belts equally qualified. You may be a black belt in one system that has little to nothing in common with another system. Actually, I'm not really sure where this particular discussion fits in with the discussion about double promotion.

Aye, but what about the horse?!? Nobody gives five seconds of consideration for the poor horse. I mean, it's bad enough he has to eat hay all his life.

thanks shogeri

shogeri, do you have the English translation to all those foriegn words you presented, or were those the translations? And no, i'm not being facetious. Those words mean something in Chinese, but they mean absolutely nothing to me since i don't understand Chinese.

Agreed, the outcome is impossible to determine because neither the values nor the variables have not been determined. I would also like to iterate that there is no such thing as a street fighter. If the bum off the street had a great many fights in 10 years, yet all he fought were smaller, weaker, less capable opponents, does that make him skilled? If he lost every fight, despite having had a great many of them, does that make him skilled? If he has no muscle definition, zero coordination, and really bad eyesight, does that mean he'll be able to take out someone because he's had 'a great many fights in 10 years'? We know nothing of this so-called street fighter, nor do we have any information on this so-called martial artist. If all he does is hide in his room and do katas for 10 years... he's not a martial artist, he's a friggin' nutcase.

Well you can go wrong buy wasting your money on it. If people are willing to fall for Ashida Kim and other crackpots, i see no reason why they wouldn't fall victim to this.

Halloween isn't merely about wearing a costume. It is commonly believed this is a pagan or Celtic holiday, but in truth the Catholic Church presented it as an actual holiday to precede All Hallows (aka: All Saints Day) on November 1st, which was followed by All Souls on November 2nd. That's not to say it does not have Celtic origins, for it does. However, it was due to the Celtic 'New Years' falling on November 1st, and therefore the celebration occuring on the night of October 31st. The merging of the Romans (Roman Catholics) and the Celts (granted, not a peaceful merging) birthed a new holiday. The observances of the druids were 'transplanted' to the day of Halloween, and thus we have an observation of the dead; not as dead, but as living spirits of loved ones and of guardians of our cultural and spiritual identities... our past.* Costumes, when presented, were about the dead and about spirits. They were of ghostly origins... skeletons, wraiths, ghosts, etc. Of course, we all know that Halloween has been commercialized by the merchants. Our modern version has taken a rather demented track, and now we dress up like Vanna White and Luke Skywalker. So, all that said... what would the purpose be in dressing up like some anonymous black belt? * (( readers digest version ))