yamesu

I understand where your coming from and I probably should not have used the term "game", but honestly I personally disagree (personal opinion only) that the UFC is better now than it was. As one single example a karate-ka or jodo-ka cannot even wear their chosen uniform into the ring. To me that can be termed exclusion. Your right, money rules. I cant argue that, Im an Environmental Scientist and see it all the time in that line of work. Money and development gets put before conservation of the very things that give us quality of life. In any given situation it seems like economics will dominate. Better athletes. Quite possibly. But I think that that in itself is deviating away from the original intention of the UFC. An analogy I would draw would be K1. When it started K1 was for Kyokushin and Kickboxers to test their mettle against each other while accounting for as many of the strong points from standup striking as possible. This is still true today. The UFC however, has shifted to allow certain training methods to prevale under the set rules. In some of the earlier UFC there was insane fights. A 'normal' sized man (karate-ka) dropping a full blown sumo wrestler with a single hit, and a kendo-ka continuously pounding the temple of his downed opponent until he was literally carried out on a stretcher... This cannot be seen anymore, and instead of the UFC drawing in a range of people like it used to, it appears there is only a certain type of personality that enters nowdays (yes I understand that some fighters are techers and have various occupations etc, but thats not really what im getting at). If you look up Kimbo Slice's videos one would find it does not appear he has lost a great amount of street or backyard fights... but has lost numerous times in the UFC Is it because he is facing what you may deem "real" athletes in the UFC?... Quite possibly, or it may be because he cannot do what he instinctively wants to in a violent manner to overcome an opponent in the ring. I would like to see what would happen with fighters such as this if they were allowed to actually go "no-holds-barred", not what the term has apparrently come to mean presently. To me the UFC has become overrated, and now the general populous use it as an excuse to act tough. Like if someone trains at an MMA gym for six months they are automatically apparrently ready to tackle any violent situation. It has become a false sense of security and this to me is not morally correct. Dont get me wrong, I still thoroughly enjoy watching the UFC, I just think it has left its roots and become somewhat biased.

Hi all, Just wondering if anyone here does routine training with kettlebells... I just acquired a 20kg (i think about 48 pounds?) kettlebell and have been giving it a go. I am actually really enjoying it, but am trying to ease myself into it at the moment. Happy to hear any POV from forum members, as well as any tips/tricks or other advice. OSU-

I think (from skimming through the posts) most of the commenters here have forgotten, or are unaware of, the actual evolution of the UFC.... Look back to UFC 1, 2 and 3. It was brutal. No gloves, all strikes and holds allowed, it was a REAL no holds barred competition. Nowdays, and after much deliberation, the UFC has shifted to bring in many rules which favour certain styles of striking and grappling over others. Yes, Im not saying it favours grappling over striking, but conversely, that there are styles of grappling that are favoured within the points scoring system over others - and the same same for striking styles. The finesse has been taken out of the UFC over the last decade, and it has (IMHO) become nothing more than new-aged WWE..... I realise this will upset a lot of people, but think about it. Its all about the hype, the fighters character and personas, and last but not at all least, advertising... Now, back to the original point... Look at the Gracies, when BJJ was first introduced to the UFC it was unbleivable! And it was done wearing full gi attire, something which is not allowed in current UFC torunaments... This to me is simply favouring certain styles over others! I would like to see more Karate in the UFC (GSP and Machida are two of my fav fighters!), but foremost, I would like to see UFC go back to its roots....UFC appears to have become a game moreso than a test of fighters and styles. This gravely dissapoints me personally. I believe the UFC no longer represents what it was orginally intended for. OSU.

I found these comments really interestin, as I have never come across this before. I live in the mountains here in Australia (say 3500 ft above sea level) but regularly travel down to the coast (a couple of hours drive) to work, train in MA and grade. I have never suffered from high altitude sickness or loss of breath, but one thing I can say is that the air in the mountains is a lot 'cleaner' that that around coastal Sydney, so I regularly find myself shorter of breath in lower altitudes (likely due to nitrogen oxides and other air pollutants). Perhaps it is just to do with the areas that one is acclimatised to living in, and not actually the shift to a higher altitude? Regardless I agree with the assertion that drinking water consistently will help! Water = the most amazing drink in the world!

.... the harder they fall Seriously though, while there is valid points about people pulling punches when they go in for the 'tap' I have seen numerous examples where a tap that could not have been anything more HAS scored points in matches at various competitions... I dont like that and is one reason im not partial to point-sparring.. Anyway, enough of that. In reality (in line with the points about Bruce Lee) 'in-fighting' is for the most part just as, if not more, effective that flailing and 'out-fighting', which is where the muay-thai/kickboxers clinch comes in. Short compact punches are devestating. I think people tend to forget a simple fact of physics (Newtons Laws), that power is a consequence of acceleration, thus increased speed before impact will raise power just as much as the input force...... look up the equations Just my two cents..

Igree with the above statements. I have trained Kyokushin for close to 17 years now (on and off as other parts of my life dictate), but Kyokushin is basically quite a hard style of Karate, and does focus a lot on full-contact fighting. Thats not to say that self-defense and bunkai (kata applications for self-defense) are not in there, they are quite a big part of Kyokushin, and something I personally have focused more on throughout my training as I am not a tournament fighter... In my opinion Kyokushin is about one of the most complete styles of Karate for modern self-defense, as I have done stand up fighing, ground work, self-defense and weapons defense/training in my time training at several different dojos (do I hear some ambiguous comments on this coming ... ). Honestly, I could not recommend Kyokushin enough! It is quite possibly my favortie passtime. As above posters noted, the best bet for you is to go and try out the two schools and see which one is 'right' for you :) Good luck and OSU!!!

They are really one and the same thing. Japanese kobudo = San-setsu-kon. Chinese (kung fu) = San-jit-gwan. They both relay that it is a chained weapon of three sections. The differences in use would be (in my opinion) the same as the stylistic differences between the bo-staff and dragon-staff..... I have been training with the three-section staff for more than six years now, and can tell you it is not walk in the park. I have injured myself many times, and that is with one made of rattan (my old instructor had a hardwood three-section, and i only ever used it once... never again!!!!). I found it really hard to find any instructor of kobudo that will teach this weapon, particularly without having some serious bo-staff knowledge under your belt first (pun intended). Best bet is to seek out some kobudo lessons in the first instance (which i can see from your profile you are already doing) and become extremely proficient with the bo-staff. There is a LOT of transition between the two. I also found that no amount of nunchaku training helped me with the three-section staff... but that might just be my personal use. I have a few other thread responses on here from ages ago, might benifit you to look them up. I am not a fan of telling people to learn from books and video, but if thats all you have then go for it. We all learn by doing at the end of the day. Best of luck and hit me up if you want any specific information on anything (techniques etc). Osu.

Just to get back onto the self-defence part of the thread... I think a lot of martial artists tend to uphold respect throughout their day to day lives, which is a good thing - I believe it makes us better and more understanding people all round. I also think that this comes from the fact (when relating to fighting and self defence) that when we spar in class both parties usually have a mutual respect for one another. We need to keep in mind that outside the dojo people do not carry that mutual respect for each other. If someone is threatening the health and safety of you or your loved ones then go ALL OUT! I mean, its one of the reasons we train right?..... Osu.

Interesting comments. All i can contribute is that Mens Health Australia ran an article on this not too long ago, and basically conveyed that it was more beneficial to do free weights without shoes on, as it enables more foot and calf muscles building greater stability..... I dont do weights so I cant confirm or deny. Osu.

I have to say i agree with bushido I think that bouncing serves a particular purpose in certain types of sparring, of which i dont do and so may be a bit biased... However, i believe putting a 'bounce' in your stance allows your opponent to see exactly when your off balance or not well grounded. Id use that as a prime point for attack against someone i was squared off against who was bouncing! For example... anyone who has ever been kicked while airbourne will agree that theres no going back once youve lost your grounding from a strong stance... As for building endurance - skipping rope is golden. Osu.

Not only does that negate a bit of the incoming power, but it destroys the attackers balance adn additionally, may even hurt/damage a 'special' set of muscles if done with enough leverage/force OSU.

This is a really interesting topic guys and gals One interesting point Ive considered worth noting is the potential origin of the phrase "up to scratch".... OSU.

Just to throw something in the mix.... One of my friends (term used loosely) was in an altercation while drunk at a train platform a few years back... he got wordy with the wrong person, and this guy delivered one heck of a punch to his temple/eye. Long and short of it was the punch fractured his skull, released fluids/blood into the brain cavity and put him in hospital for a good couple of weeks.... Doctors told us at the time that he was lucky to be alive and that severe trauma such as this directly to the cranium can result in death more often than is assumed. Just a thought... Osu

I strongly agree with Espina and StillKicking I can perform every one of the kata Kyokushin has to offer..... Im really only proficient at maybe two-three of them though. Training one kata for years has significantly more long term benifit than getting them all done and dusted as quickly as possible.... Kata is to Zen what Food is to Hunger.... If i taste a little of all the food in the world will I really be satisfied?.... Osu

Cheers NE_KyoSa, -the same to you too

wow, that is one of the best ideas i have heard in a long long time. i was just complaining the other day about what a dent boards make in my wallet...all just to break them! i might just have to steal taht idea from you Yamesu, that is a great idea! Cheers , and no worries on pinching the idea NE_KyoSa, glad I can bring something to the party

I agree. Sticks (canes) / staff are the best places to start.

I really enjoyed reading this thread. Every January for the past few years now I have spent time: evaluating where I'm at with my MA training, how my last year of training has affected that? where do I now want to go with my MA training over this coming year? and how can I achieve that? I have found it extremely effective in the setting of long-term goals within my personal MA training. For 2008- I wish to build a little bit more core-strength, including a bit more definition. I would also like to increase my kicking flexibility more (have been watching Won Jin), as well as increase my gymnastic ability. I would like to focus more on traditional aspects of Karate, as opposed to the sporting aspects I have exposed myspef to over the course of 2007. Kudos for starting the thread.

Personal fav's are high round kick, high front kick and jumping back or front kick breaks. Knife hand and Forefist/Backfist breaks also I got sick of buying pine boards, as you really start to chew through them after a while. An alternative ive been doing for a while (at home) is to get a large baking dish (pref' square and 2-3 inches deep) and fill it with water before placing in a freezer overnight and then thawing the ice out of the tray carefully to gain a nice thick sheet. Problem is I can only fit like three/four trays max in my freezer so can only do that many at once. It certainly looks cool to shatter through though! Only problem is i have cut the instep of my foot on occasion (only minor) when doing high round kicks (jodan mawashi) breaks. Much cheaper than pine boards

Positively good post. Cheers

A top Kyokushin karate-ka. Look for videos of him on youtube. There is one of him fighting a brown-bear. OSU.

From memory, In Kyokushin we have Neikoashi (Cat), Tsuruashi (Crane), and Garyu (Dragon) stances. Osu.

I really dont want to get into an argument, and this is solely my opinion, but, I believe that the curvature of the blade does offer a small strategic advantage. Please, bear with me and try to think "centerlines". If you were to get a person (say a kendo-ka) with their sword held at chudan-kamae, {Ie) if your facing them, then their sword (a straight bamboo shinai) is pointed at you eyes, shaft vertical}, and you aim to do a simple tsuki or "thrust" into chest directly behind the area being covered by the opponents weapon. Now, If you have a straight sword (gim, shinai, raiper), this is virtually impossible without first moving your entire body into a different position to locate an opening for the tsuki, or by widely moving ones arm outside the centerline to get past opponents weapon to locate their centerline. Ie, one creates an opening on themself in order to find an opening on the opponent. If you have a curved sword (katana, dou) this is achievable by only a simple flick of wrists to 'turn the blade facing outwards' (<<--hope this makes sense), and no opening need be created for the tsuki, as the tip of the blade can find the centerline of the opponent going around their weapon without ever moving ones position or moving ones wrists away from centerline. I hope this makes sense. Its trick to explain, and I worded it poorly. Im by no means saying that Katana is the "ultimate weapon" (though i do love to train kenjutsu), Im just saying that in my opinion, the curvature of the blade, away-from and then back-to the weapons center of balance, does offer a small advantage over straight bladed swords. I think the previous comment by Jay sums it up. "99%user and 1%sword" Cheers.

Were all still waiting for lighsabers. IMO, the design of the katana is quite ingenious, as it is a blade designed with enough curvature to manouvre around obsticals with a simple tsuki while still maintaining sturdy structural form, also the ability to protrude gaps in plated armour comes to mind. Nice words, and very true. I tell people that often. Also very true. and, where is this video???

I agree. It is not the emotion which has power persay, but rather it is the control one has over an emotion which makes it powerfull. Osu.