White Warlock

So your argument is that no-contact, which no martial art system i'm aware of practices, is based on 20% reality, while full-contact, which includes rules, rounds, restrictions, padding, referees, and a nice mat to stand on, is 100% of reality? So, it doesn't matter what system? And... if you stand over there, i stand over here... and we practice our techniques without ever actually making any physical contact whatsoever... we're only practicing 20% of reality? Considering what i said earlier, which is that no martial art system actually practices that way, i can only assume you were referring to 'light-contact' (after all, you are using 'point sparring' as a base). If you are referring to light contact, what is your definition of light contact? If i wrestle with you, is that light contact or full-contact? Or are you referring only to striking martial art systems? I gather such is the case, considering your arguments stem around 'point-sparring.' But, then you say, "this is not knocking those who do point sparring for sport side/ tournament, fitness and general training this is just to people who do no contact or do no full contact." This confuses me a bit, as you seem to be arguing against point sparring, but then state you are only referring to those who do no contact, or do no full contact. So... which is it? Point sparring or no contact? And, if you are only referring to striking martial art systems, then why would full-contact be 100% reality when all the restrictions i mentioned above are in effect? Seriously, wouldn't 100% reality be you walking down the street, i casually come up to you as if i was just walking by, then as you pass, i slip out a knife and gut you, and take your wallet? Or would reality be some guy who makes a derogatory comment towards you, catching you by surprise and which prompts you to toss out an insult in return? Would it be reality that suddenly this guy is in your face and demanding you apologize, not allowing you even one moment to consider whether an apology is even warranted, and providing enough flight/fight factor in you to get your adrenalin running, but not enough reason to escalate the situation further? Or maybe reality is when you find yourself dealing with two guys wailing on a another guy. Problem is, you don't know who the villian is. Then again, if we simplify all this supposed reality, and pose a threat right in front of you... something to hit... what would work better? Would it be the training in 'light-contact' or the training in 'full-contact' that will determine whether one person or another wins this 'supposed' reality? Maybe... just maybe, reality isn't something you can prepare for, a confrontation is never the same, and the outcome is dependent upon the individual... Then again, maybe i'm just hypothesizing so much that it ruins the fun of arguing such pointless debates.

chylaxin, Let me make it very clear. I did not call the writer a couch potato. I said he wrote it in 3rd person form, as a couch potato would. LuckyBoxer's post is far more like a 1st person writeup of the same points. Please note the difference. Another point. You can have pride for your school, and even for your instructor... but how about for yourself? I respect everyone i ever trained with, even the ones that weren't really all that good. But that doesn't mean i idolize them. Also, i think it's important to mention that i get the impression you ignored the rest of my post, or the contents of others' posts and are just cherry picking. Getting riled on tangential issues, while not focusing on the 'intent' of the messages being presented in these discussions doesn't allow you the benefit of growth through interchange of ideas. And to close. I do appreciate input from most everyone. Many people do. But sometimes, people like to exchange ideas, which is what these forums are about.

Well i'm dang sure not going to have sex, with a stranger i just met, while wearing UFC-type boxing gloves.

hehe

Agreed Busling.

Here's a possible solution. Talk to the gym coach and/or your martial arts instructor. See if it's possible to setup a 'supervised' fight. One that is committed in the ring, or at least with gloves on. Something i'm noticing here is that this 'kata' person isn't really willing to fight... that he's being pushed, of sorts, by his friends. This may just make him a little more amenable to the idea i noted above.

Bah! You spelled my name wrong! Alright, outside now! *starts practicing katas in the parking lot*

Sounds to me like you have the beginnings of a gang war. Don't go there. This type of things only gets worse. I agree, considering the circumstances, you need to take aeflbird's advice. It won't get any better by giving someone a beatdown.

umm.. what's this GSL?

I think i understand Drunken Monkey's point. When i read this article, i felt as if i was reading something written by a guy who never participated in a martial art, or at least that had not participated for any length of time. I was given the impression this was someone who laughed at martial artists as a whole. This was my impression. The article is not well written. It is also full of generalizations and bold statements. Some people here get tired of hearing me talking about myself, or what i've done here and there, but i toss out my experiences as examples, not as a means to show off. On the other hand, this person talks in 3rd person form, as if he is neither a black belt, nor a street fighter... but a couch potato. I don't have much respect for the opinions of couch potatoes. Things always look so cut and dry to a couch potato, but... they aren't. A black belt is a means to indicate when someone has obtained 'mastery' of the 'basics.' It is not an indication that they are a master fighter that can win any confrontation, regardless of the circumstances. There really aren't that many black belt persons that hold that attitude. But, at the same time, every person is an individual, every system is different, and no two confrontations are ever alike. So, of course obtaining a black belt doesn't make you invincible, but it also doesn't make you a fool... as this article insinuates. The basis to his argument is obvious, and it could be said in one sentence. "Just because you have a black belt, doesn't mean you can handle any street confrontation." And there it is.

You mean apes that dragged their knuckles on the ground?

Yeah, i'm a stud. lol Seriously though, i've been plagued by muscle, back and joint problems ever since, so resilient maybe... superhuman, clearly not.

And on that note, in 1983 I was struck by a car going over 75mph, dragged 40 yards, and then run over. I woke up 3.5 hours later in the hospital. I left the hospital 24 hours later, a concussion, torn ligaments and bruised muscles. Nothing broken. The car that hit me didn't fare so well.

Sounds to me like she wasn't performing the choke too well. One minute without blood flow to the brain... and you're not going to be okay.

First off, let me say i used to box, as a youth and since. Nowadays i just 'check' my skills, make sure they're still there. The argument posed is not that boxers don't know how to punch correctly (although, in some respects they don't), but that they train to punch hard targets and generally head-hunt. When practicing this with gloves on, you have 'padding' that protects you from injuries to your hands for committing such actions. Boxers practice hitting hard targets all the time, and all the time with gloves on, so they get conditioned into striking things like the skull or chin, with a closed fist, and often with the flat of their fist, as opposed to the leading knuckles. Such things lead to broken fingers, usually at the first joint. Unless you spend an exhorbitant amount of time conditioning your hand to take the punishment of striking hard objects (which, btw, is a seriously bad idea in this day and age), it won't be able to handle a hard/hard strike. This is why those so-called no-holds barred fighters that didn't wear gloves, performed strikes with open palms. If done correctly, open palms on hard targets can be very effective. However, being able to do so requires practice. A general training concept that i push, i call hard/soft. It is to strike at a hard part of the opponent's body (skull, chin, hip, knee, etc) with a soft part of your body, and vice versa. Such an action ensures there is always a degree of 'natural padding.' With this padding in place, the striker is allowed to present 100% power, rather than shy away due to the concern for personal injury. As to the gloves you mention. I like them. I've goofed around with them and enjoyed them over any other type of glove. But, and i say this with complete conviction, they're still gloves. They are not items you can slip on while being mugged. In many respects, they're like practicing how to slice with a sword, without ever taking the scabbard off.

Oh great. Give the kid a guilt complex.

Yes, the myth goes that if you hit hard enough, bone fragments of the nose can be thrust into the brain. Two problems with this myth are that the nose is mainly comprised of 'cartilage,' not bone. The second is that, as SS stated, there is no direct pathway to the brain from the nasal cavity. The skull still blocks the way, and we're talking a good 1/4" of bone, curved to be more resilient to impact. It is far more likely that you could cause a concussive effect severe enough to damage the brain. But, such could be effected via a strike to almost any part of the skull (with the chin and back of the head seemingly being more susceptible). Movies are great though, eh?

I suppose they can clone him.

Or, you can invite him for a pizza. Get to know him, as he gets to know you.

Being technically competent does not make you mentally, or even physically, competent. A 12 year old black belt would bounce off my knee. Worse, he would probably act like a kid while doing it. Why? Because he 'is' a kid. There's nothing wrong with kids being kids, but it falls under the category of deception to give a kid a black belt. Regardless of how well they've memorized the techniques, or how well they can apply them, having the right mindset and having the physical ability to utilize those skills... these are important. A 12 year old kid wouldn't be able to do anything more than womp another 12 year old kid. And what's to prevent him from doing so? A 12 year old is far away from being developed, either physically or mentally. It is just as inappropriate to give a kid a black belt for learning tkd, or any other martial art, as it is to give a black belt to a gymnast. Both really know their techniques, but the mindset? No... they're still kids. Let them be kids and don't deceive them into thinking they're ready for prime time. In the end, you only hurt them. I've seen far too many young BBers lose all faith in the arts, because when it came down to actually being applied in a real-life confrontation... they were a mere hockey puck. Honesty is far more important to a child's growth. Medals, plaques, and belts... meaningless, if it's just a sham. Problem is, in almost every case with providing a black belt to a minor... it's a sham.

I knew there was a point to this thread! hehe

Agree with all of the above. Nothing to add.

Oh, i forgot to mention. Both my friends were influenced by our shenanigans. Both ended up later joining wing chun for a few years, and one eventually entered into the study of aikido. He continues to study aikido to this day. PhDPeddler, it's a good community, bereft of a lot of posturing and childish oneupsmanship. So yes, i agree. This forum is a good find.

Agreed. Back in Sacramento, over a decade ago, one thing i used to do all the time was stand on the edge of the pool and have my two friends try to knock me in the water (Warning: this is dangerous, so don't try it at home). They would rush me, stand and grapple, push, etc. They would attack separately or in unison. Rarely did i take my feet off the ground, and only occasionally did a 'sacrifice' attack work to get me in the water. Almost all the time, they would be in the water and i would be waving at them from the edge of the pool. I do recall one time, however, where we were at it again and the landlord came walking by. She said hi to me, i turned my head, waved at her and responded in kind. My friends looked at each other and then, with one finger, one of them pushed me in the water. The former is an example of ki in effect, the latter... completely devoid of it. My friends were witness to it, and had experienced it firsthand, yet even after knowing full well there's more to it than meets the eye... they maintained their skepticism. After all, why else would they continue to try and continue to find themselves in the water? Well, okay... maybe because we were having fun.

Hehe