Angus

Yeah, i've heard of this place thru the various martial arts magazines dude, it's legitimate. But i dunno what euro thaiboxing is... It's got a lot of famous blokes that have come out of it, most of which are spending a lot of time over in Thailand. I reckon u should go there... R U near Balgowlah? Angus

Hahaha, dude.... Rage Against the Machine is the name of a band, and the quote "Your anger is a gift" comes from their song FREEDOM. Which i happen to be listening to now. I shouldn't expect everyone to know that though, so i will explain it as i have when it comes up. They're quite i good group if you're into politically motivated heavy rock. Angus

If he didn't have the knife i would be less inclined to hurt him, but with the knife i'd go all KAIOKEN on his ass!! :kaioken: :kaioken: :kaioken: :kaioken: Angus

Uh, yeah, i don't talk about point sparring. I suppose u would try and do something fancy if u were sparring in karate, but if u were in the street and ur leg got grabbed i'd drop to the ground and maybe try and kick his legs or ankles out so i could free my leg (if it hasn't already been freed by dropping). Then u fight on the ground if u have to. If you miss with the thai roundhouse u should be able to swing around quick enough to be back in your guard. U should have your eyes on them the whole time (just change ur head around as u swing) and if u see them coming in u can use a spinning fist or elbow. If they've made it out of the way of the roundhouse then they probly won't have time to come in on u. U need to pick the right time to do spinning things where ur back is turned momentarily, but not times when someone has your leg tucked firmly and tightly between their arm and their ribs, and are ready to break your knee joint.... That's a no-go... just drop and fight your way out on the ground. But try and avoid that sticky situation as much as possible. Angus

One thing i like about Kyokushin Karate is that they have full contact bare knuckle tournaments. I think they're still points though... I just got into a fight by the way, and i'm about to make a post on it. I'm i a little trouble. Angus

U can also have the mental state and willingness to go out and kick some serious rump but not be able to fight for peanuts though... Mental state plays a part, i agree, but that is not the determining factor. The determining factor is whether or not all the stuff u have learnt is effective in the real fighting environment. Some of the stuff in Muay Thai is ineffective too, it's not a complete martial art, but many of its aspects are superior to other arts. It's cold, i need warm clothes.... fg fghjg h ... Angus

The ladies might be interested to know that when u eat chocolate the same chemical is released into your body that your body releases naturally when the sensation of 'love' is felt.... It's supposed to be a deep and warm heaviness in the chest or something. Why do u think us guys always give u chicks chocolate and stuff for presents? *What dya say we go in the back and shag!?* Hahahahahaha!!! Angus

Yo, wassup wit yo punk ass! Welcome to the boards dude... Angus

See, not meaning to be rude or anything here, but someone said that their roundhouse is getting caught. Never ever ever EVER! turn your back on someone, even if it is to get out of a grabbed leg. Drop yourself to the ground or something. I don't have this problem with my roundhouse cos i do the thai style kick. Sure, the guy can grab it if he wants to, but he's either gonna have a broken arm/hand or broken ribs. The thai style roundhouse crashed instead of snaps. When u perform it in the air it should swing u all the way around, and not be stopped mid-air. It's designed to use the power from the hips so much so that it just crashes thru everything it hits. I need to work on my front and side kicks though (my left side kick is beyond pathetic with someone of my experience). I just never use these kicks, but now i'm doing a graded system and have to know how to do them properly. Ah well. Angus

Fighting a big guy kinda is a scary experience. Some locks might not work on them because they are simply too strong and can twist out of them (depending on your size compared to theirs). I remember one time i had a school yard brawl with this big Rugby player, he was a massive Samoan import and i reckon he would have eventually had be if we hadn't been reported to a teacher and broken up. I was keeping my distance (but at this time i didn't know about the benefits of going for the legs) and wearing him down, but he was like a freight train. It was bloody scary! I'm more confident now in my technique, but u have to be really sure u know what you doing. Somtimes if u've only had like 6 months experience or somethig in the MA's then the size of the opponent will almost nullify your technical advantage. You HAVE TO BE CAREFUL when fighting big guys. It's much easier to snap bones when u have greater resistance that the smaller guy you're fighting. Angus

I always train with the consideraton that the oponent is gonna b bigger, stronger, and faster than i am... So i work the legs a lot, and practive groin shots. It's a common and all too deadly myth that people tend to believe in that big muscly guys are slow... They aren't... Just keep that in mind. If they include plyometrics in their workouts then they will have some very quick moves. When in a fight, especially against a big guy u have to remember to keep out of their range. This doesn't necessarily mean that u have to run away or dance around, it could also mean that u get in close, first, with elbows and knees. Don't b afraid to get in close with the big guys, just be sure know what you're doing first. Elbows are effective on everyone, big and small, so smack a big guy in the teeth with a good hirozontal elbow and he'll go down like a ten tonne sack of crud... I suppose kicking the groin would work too, but it looks so much more manly if u make then bleed from the mouth. Angus

Yeah yeah yeah, that's it! I've got some sort of ice age going on in my head at the moment and i can't seem to express what i am saying. But yeah, i might try and clarify this. There are superior techniques which go together to form a superior art, which is essentially the method of crosstraining.... *shoves a match in his ear to warm up his brain*.... Therefore u can kinda argue that there is a style above others but.... aghas hdf gashhsd k..... i.... can't.... think..... straight.... need.... beer... Angus

If u want instant results and the ability to adequately defend urself against an average street thug after only a couple of weeks i suggest u do Muay Thai. I've introduced that into my specific style and i think it's great! BJJ is the best grappling art to do. Angus

Javier, dude, u kinda proved my point in an attempt to refute it. Talking about the forte's and stuff, TKD is (at least i consider it to be) the best kicking art in the world. Of course some martial artists are gonna have more drive than others, but that doesn't mean that they couldn't be better if they did a different art. Your ability to break objects with your kicks, that's technique as well as your skill... hmm... i'm having trouble putting this into words. You say you've taken part in other arts... that further helps my point. In that sense u are, kinda sorta maybe, partially a freestyler - in that u have adapted and seen the faults in your technique and rectified it by trying to even it out with boxing or jiujitsu... why did u do boxing? Because boxing's hand techniques are superior to others. Why did u do jiujitsu? Because it helps u with you grappling. Jiujitsu teaches better grappling than tkd.... Damn, i can't seem to put the right words down, i think i'll leave it there. Angus _________________ "Your Anger is a Gift" - Rage Against the Machine Angus Argyle - KarateForums.com Sensei Freestyle Martial Artist. [ This Message was edited by: Angus on 2001-11-09 16:23 ]

Nah, i'm gonna 'about face' on the whole "it's the artist not the art" thing. I reckon that's a load of crap! There are superior techniques and then there are inferior techniques. Otherwise we would all still be hitting each other with clubs. I've met many a talented martial artist in my time, and i always try and pick what art they SHOULD have been in and not the art that they WERE in. I'm a freestyler, and i reckon if i had been stuck to TKD or Karate that i simply would not be as talented as i am. I'm going to say it bluntly, and this is a pure EXPERIENCED BASED belief. I consider that Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu are the two superior martial arts in the world. It's far too easy to end an armguement by saying both arts are as good as each other. I used to be an advocate for this kind of thinking, but not anymore. When i introduced Thai Boxing into my regime it simply rocked my world - i can't say any more. I know people in this day and age don't like to think that one thing is superior to another, but it's true. A cannon is better than a spitball, a sharp knife is better than a blunt one. I consider that the martial arts that don't explore outside of their own little closed worlds are the blunt knives - worn out over time and being superceded by the sharp knives, which are the arts that continuously develop. I must admit that even Muay Thai has its faults. Freestylers are quickly becoming some of the best fighters in the world, and people like Rickson Gracie are simply rare 'freaks' who stick to one art and remain unbeaten (RG is arguably the toughest dude in the world, and has had over 400 fights, all undefeated - the only MA he's ever done is Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu). I don't know wassup with me lately, but i seem to love having a good rant. I just suppose i don't like the whole modesty thing. Stay cool peepholes, Angus _________________ "Your Anger is a Gift" - Rage Against the Machine Angus Argyle - KarateForums.com Sensei Freestyle Martial Artist. [ This Message was edited by: Angus on 2001-11-08 22:50 ]

Okay then... I'm going to be making some points here relating to the tiff that happened at the start of the thread, and i'm going to TRY and be as respectfull as possible. I'm a FIGHTER, and i think that sparring and focus pad and bag work is the best way to learn to defend yourself and fight. Now, WINTERKARATE, if you want to spar and these people aren't doing any of that then i suggest you move to another school. Don't get attached to something that is just draining your money and not giving u the fighting experience that you want. I respect that people doing the martial arts don't always necessarily want to leanr to fight, they want to learn to do the artistic side oof things. I'm guessing you're like that TOBIAS. But mate, if you seriously think you can do all kata all the time and have an adequate knowledge of how to defend urself then i suggest that you go and fight a Thai Boxer with the amount of time spent in his art as you. When you wake up from your coma you will realise that all of your Seinchin kata and all that was a waste of time and money. I'm not saying kata is useless, but it is useless when you do it all the time, without the sparring to help u put your fancy moves into practice. Now this Funakoshi bloke may have thought the one-punch ends a fight, but more often than not it doesn't. And what if u come up against a big guy with a thick skull and iron jaw that u just can't KO. I'm not meaning to attack anyone, and you probably all realise the points i'm making, and any SANE martial artist wiull realise that u need at LEAST 50/50 kata/sparring to have a good basis to defend yourself. I'm more like 95% sparring and bagwork myself. But i will emphasise again to winterkarate, if u want to learn to fight and you are not being taught this at the place u currently go to then simply change. Don't be afraid at starting at the beginning again. I've been in the MA's for almost 13 years and have never seriously graded. A belt means nothing. I've seen some black belts on the karate scene that i would describe as VERY mediocre fighters. Great at points sparring and kata, but poor fighters. Sorry for the rant, and if it didn't make any sense then feel free to blame it on the fact that i am very tired. Laterz, Angus

Heh, great name u have there I think i called one of ex-girlfriends that once. Angus

Anyone heard of adreniline? It's what gives u that extra pump when you're in a street fight. Trust me, i know all about street fights, and the adreniline can let you do ANYTHING! Sorry if someone has already mentioned this, i just saw the inital post and didn't read the others. I've gotta go out to dinner with a lovely WOOOOOOOOOMMMMAAAAAANNN in a sec. C ya's.. and, uh, don't wait up for me :brow: Angus

Haha, nice - but i wouldn't go doing any feints in a real fight. I suppose with point sparring or general sparring u might flick your hands up near their head and come in with a thrusting knee or something. I don't usually do point sparring. Angus

Jiggy, dude, i think it's only the pilots who would be armed. I don't think there would be anything stopping a corrupt pilot from taking over a plane but pilots are amoungst the most highly tested people in the world. You don't often hear stories about horror pilots trying to kill his passengers. Angus

I did a bit of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to help round out my techniques on the ground. I didn't do much cos i'm primarily a striker but u HAVE to have some experience in the grappling arts if u want to be a serious fighter these days. Angus

Well done mate, i've heard that belt gradings are pretty draining and make everyone nervous. I've only ever done one belt grading before but it was pretty simple... Angus

Yeah, 75kg is 12 stone. I'm 85kg, but i'm a mere 6 feet tall. dang blast! I can curl 50lb, but i don't know what you're doing Moobrack - hupefully you aren't dumbell curling 45 KILOGRAMS (that being with just one arm), otherwise i will be leaving the room with an air of inadequacy. A lot of my muscle is in my legs though, cos i have a sw00t roundhouse kick. Angus

Yeah JakMak, i tried that admiring from afar thing, but apparently that's called 'stalking' and even if u set up a telescope a peer thru their window it's still an offence..... What's wrong with society today? Angus

Kata is to karate what the side kick is to TKD. Karate is very kata heavy and can be kinda beneficial if u concentrate heavily on the bunkai (kata application in fighting scenarios). I recently took up Zen Do Kai again (which is a freestyle martial art with strong links to karate) and there is one kata we have to learn, as beginners, called Iron Horse - which is fun enough but what was good about the class is that each move was explained and the various applications of each move were shown to us. I would say that karate is fairly 'traditional' emphasising rigid blocks and 'out of date' stances. No offense to anyone. I don't think i could do pure karate or pure tkd. Kyokushin or Shotokan karate would be good to take up, but if u don't have these styles of karate then just go and learn tkd. Angus