ps1

Yes, it would. The key is that it must be: 1. Structured 2. Highly Physical (tiring) 3. Offer a way out of the sad cycle that go them there in the first place.

I am a Nuclear Medicine Technologist who works as a validation engineer, testing and assisting in the design of PET, PET/CT, PET/MRI, and SPECT imaging equipment.

ATTACKING: Front Sweep, Reverse punch Front sweep, roundhouse using alternating legs Front Sweep, roundhouse using same leg Shuffle in range, reverse punch, shuffle out of range, take the angle, shuffle in range and reverse punch again. Double leg sweep, reverse punch lunge punch COUNTERS: Step in to jam a kick (works with all kicks) and reverse punch Take an angle and round house Take an angle and side kick As opponent steps forward: Front sweep, lunge punch, reverse punch Those are just a few basics but very high percentage. Good luck

Doesn't really matter. Anderson Silva would still be destroying people. Fedor would still have been among the most dominant ever. GSP would still be an unwavering force. Randy Coture would still have pinned everyone against the cage and tore them apart. The lesser fighters may have been a little different, but the big names would still have been dominant. This is because, to become as good as they are, you must study every aspect of the game and absolutely master at least one. Some already train in gi and those who don't, would have learned what to look out for and developed strategies to defeat it.

Um... I'm pretty sure I remember my Hx books saying that Red Dragon Kung Fu was the predominant form of combat during the mesolithic period. It was so effective that it was used as the basis of developing agriculture and hunting reindeer.

I agree with Sensei8. Of your choices, Heian Yandan is the most technical and has the most varied components. Of course, this also means it is probably the most difficult to coordinate. But it's the perfect kata for your purposes. In regard to you being in the middle, as Dobbersky mentioned, you may all be allowed to wear the same belt color. If not, you're in charge. It's your idea so you're in charge. Martial Arts immitates life. (In the military a junior rank would come up with a good idea. Because he/she understood said idea best, they led the show in regards to it's execution. The same happens in the work world all the time. Always be prepared to do the job of someone 1 level above you and 2 levels below you.) Leading your team can only be looked upon favorably by your sensei. Remember, luck is where opportunity meets preparation. Prepare to the best of your abilities, hopefully the opportunity to win will present itself.

My best recommendation is to read as many different versions of History as possible. Find the commonalities, and that's usually where the truth lies. For the Hx section of my website (for Gracie Jiu-Jitsu) it took me a long time just to get accurate biographies of when each person started training and the changes made to the art in comparison to Judo. But I ended up with a very accurate representation of what happend and how it came about.

Why? It makes no sense to me to lie about what you're supposed to be doing. Instead of dumbing it down for a child, why not tell them the truth. "Those particular portions of the kata represent techniques I don't feel should be taught to children, or even people I don't trust. For that reason, I don't teach that until you reach age X and rank Y." Making something is disingenuous. How does that help anyone? I propose it doesn't.

I know it was long. Perhaps you skimmed through it a little. But there is a part where he clearly grabs her and starts pounding on her head. There were a few other face shots in there too. She took em like a champ. I agree with most of what everyone is saying, though. He clearly sucked. I don't think he was being nice, I think he was just not used to a diciplined fighter who will get in and out. He wanted to counter strike and didn't get the chance that often. He needed to use his size as an advantage and made only very poor attempts when he had the opportunity to do so. This tells me he didn't know how. She fought very well considering the size differences. I liked all the leg kicks she was delivering. Needed to set up her punches with the leg kicks more, however. This would have allowed her to get even cleaner shots that are rooted. This is very important when you're not going to be able to hit hard anyway. My biggest problem with her style is longevity. There's no way she will be able to fight like that when she's 60, 70, 80. What is her plan for defeating a larger opponent then. It's already established that, at peak performance, her strikes are ineffective.

It's normal for you. What else matters? Martial arts, in the modern era, are more about finding what you like and what you consider fun. You should feel connected to the art you train. If you've found that, then what you are doing is perfectly normal. Congratulations.

I largely agree with this. Kata are composed of large, gross motor skills. Many of the movements can be a multitude of techniques. Exactly what they are is often at the discression of the head of your particular system. I take the kata bunkai and use that to make the ippon kumite techniques. In this way, the meaning is always understood and the essense of kata is understood. In doing this, Kata=Kumite=Kihon. Imagine that!

Alot of great responses here. Thanks for that. I enjoy reading the reasons for people training. Hopefully, we can get some more answers in. I'd like to see over 50 poll responses.

I agree with Tempest. Young man: - takdown attempt was from outside proper range - Once he escaped the back, he let himself get sucked into the closed guard - Poor posture inside the closed guard - Improper attempt to remove the girl's hand from his neck - Did not make an attempt to block the second hand from coming around. Young Lady - Decent sprawl. - Overzealous on her attempt to take the back. Didn't secure good position and attempted to just jump on. Therefore she lost position - Great job securing the closed guard. - Great job dominating the opponent's posture - Good job attacking the opponent's base in order to open him up for the choke. (She attempted to use her hips to drive him over to his back...hip bump sweep...this caused him to use his defending arm...right arm... to stop the sweep. Freed up her attacking arm...left arm... to secure the grip behind the neck) There are a number of reasons that the young man lost, but the biggest was that he didn't follow the rules of guard passing: 1. Defend your neck!!!!!!! 2. Defend your limbs 3. Defend your base 4. Begin your pass He should have allowed the sweep and prepared to escape to his left as he was being swept. At worst, this puts him in half guard, at best, he regains full guard. Either way, he's still alive to keep rolling. As it is, he gave up rule 1 and payed the price of it. I also agree that it was a fun match to watch.

Counter attack often does not require a block. What if the attack is not a strike at all? The first movement of the first kata/form is almost always a gedan barrai (low defend). So let us use that as an example. What if the attack is someone grabbing your shoulder and pulling you from behind? To turn and perform a gedan kentsui (hammer fist to the groin) would be a great defense to this. So, in this respect, the gedan barrai isn't a gedan barrai at all. It's gedan kentsui. What about evasion? It seems that proper tai sabaki (foot work) could be just as effective as any block. Often moreso, in my opinion.

Great responses so far. Keep em comming

Completely false. It only influences you if you are greedy. If you want to run an academy (dojo) as a business, you must do so without greed or ego. If a student doesn't like what I have to offer or the way I do things, I'm more than happy to refer them to a competitor. I am very comfortable with what I teach and how I teach it. There are people who make a living panhandling. I think it's more than an honest living to teach a martial art.

What is the most important aspect of training martial arts to you? Please think hard and chose your answer. I agree all of these are important. But what keeps you coming back? What makes it fun for you? Those ideas should go into your choice.

Changes are made to kata for a wide variety of reasons. Here are some I can think of off the top of my head: - To make a movement "fit" the way they think the style should work - To make a movement "fit" the way they think the style should look - To make a movement more interesting-looking for competition - To make a movement easier to do in their old age or with their injuries - To make a movement easier to teach to large groups - To make a movement safer to practice - Because they forgot how it was supposed to be done - Because people in the organization disagree about how it was supposed to be done and had to compromise ^ That sums it up. Well said Wastelander.

Just train. Only experience and hard work will prepare you. Once you're there, you must trust in your training. Don't overthink it.

Are they all blocks? I think they can be seen as blocks. At the same time, the gedan barrai (low defend) can also be seen as a gedan kentsui (hammerfist). It can be further broken down into prepatory movements. Prepatory movements, such as bringing the arms in position to perform a gedan barrai can be full techniques as well. In that much, I think it's more a matter of perspective and preference. So my answer would be, they don't all start with blocks. But surely they can all start with blocks.

Some places do that. Why? I have no idea. We do not, nor does anyone I've met (alot of high level BJJers). But I've certainly seen it on videos. I don't see the point of flogging one another.

These actually apply to many martial arts. But I wrote them with jiu-jitsu in mind, so I'm putting them here. Line of Sight on Your Weaknesses: In 1999, the Dunning-Kruger effect was introduced to the field of social psychology. In summary, this is the idea that people tend to overestimate their skills while underestimating the skills of others. Jiu-Jitsu does not allow for this. Because you are constantly testing your skill against others, over time, it is nearly impossible to believe yourself to be better than you really are. Your strengths and weaknesses are made apparent to you as well as the strengths and weaknesses of others. The ability to recognize and confront your weaknesses is character building, and enlightening. Goal Setting: Because weaknesses are constantly being found, the ability to set goals to confront and overcome your weaknesses becomes ultimately important for growth in the art. Goal setting in Jiu-Jitsu is the only way to get better at jiu-jitsu. Further, because the goals are specific to your skill set, you will always get better as a result of achieving them. Quiet Your Ego: In order to achieve your goals, which are ultimately grounded in your weaknesses, you must do things you are not good at doing. This means you will lose more often than you win until you achieve your goal. The only way to accomplish your goal is to quiet the ego; that innate desire to abandon what you’re doing and just do what it takes to win. Until you can quiet your ego, you will not achieve your goals. This is what holds most people back from getting good at Jiu-jitsu, as well as keeps them from getting ahead in life. Importance of Detail: When you constantly confront people that are younger, stronger, faster, and bigger than you; or when you are constantly beaten by someone who is smaller and weaker than you. It quickly becomes apparent that physical prowess is not the deciding factor in winning. In Jiu-Jitsu, as in life, the devil is in the details. Learning to be a technical and detail oriented person will make you a more effective person both at jiu-jitsu and in real life situations. See the Forest for the Trees: Because the details you learn to see stem from a broader goal, this means a person will learn to see that the small things you do, affect the big things that happen. Despite the fact that there are several details to learn for each move, the overall goal of the move is never lost and is, in fact, strengthened by the details put forth. Our lives can often become clouded with the monotony of day to day details. It is important to constantly remember those details strengthen and support us in many ways. Achievement Comes in Many Forms: Winston Churchill once said, “Failure is not fatal, Success is not final, it’s the courage to continue that counts.” This rings true both in jiu-jitsu and in the grand scheme known as life. Failure to meet a goal enlightens us to our weaknesses. And being successful at a something does not indicate that the move or skill can not still be honed further. Like a diamond, perfection in Jiu-Jitsu is the product of constant pressure and time. Go With the Flow: There are times in all our lives when things are truly beyond our control. This can either be a product of our own doing, or the product of others. Regardless, Jiu-jitsu combat has similar situations. If you chose to fight against those things you can not control, you will usually lose. Learning to go with the flow is very important if we want to succeed in Jiu-jitsu. Spot Your Landing: As we go with the flow it’s important to constantly look for places where we can regain control of the situation. Finding a foothold and focusing on where you’re headed will allow you to spot your landing and come out ahead. Stand Your Ground: It’s been said that if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. Understanding when you should stand your ground and when you should go with the flow is a constant struggle in Jiu-Jitsu. Different people move in different ways and the better you understand yourself and your situation, the better you can determine when and how to stand your ground and fight for your position. Fun: While the prior 9 points are of extreme importance in getting good at jiu-jitsu and applying it to your life; having fun while you’re doing it will guarantee continued success and constant improvement. Whether it’s jiu-jitsu or improving the human condition, fun is the key to self-betterment, enduring struggle and pursuing your top level of achievement. I heard a professional fighter once say, “Jiu-jitsu is the most fun you can have without breaking the law.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

I have to take issue with this point. I was in the ATA, and the ATA has a camouflage belt. I think most people are more irritated that its not one of the "traditional" belt colors out there. The ATA has a 9 belt system before reaching black belt status. Each rank has basics, forms, and one-steps to learn for the test. I don't think a 9 or 10 colored belt system is too out of hand now days, nor do I think that it would necessarily mean the school is a McDojo. Fair enough, Brian. Keep in mind i did say that one or two of these things does not make a McDojo. I would agree that a 9 belt system is not excessive. However, there are ATA dojos that have far more than that. It just depends on the franchise owner. I haven't seen many ATA schools lately, so I don't know what changes have been made. If they've added belt colors, I'm a bit shocked. My old instructor just got his 5th degree in the ATA, so I'll have to ask him a bit about it. If they have, then that's too bad. One of the good things about the ATA is that they aren't afraid to make changes and try different things. One of the bad things is that at times they don't leave well enough alone. I also saw where you mentioned that 1 or 2 of your list wouldn't relegate a school to a McDojo. But, I also know the ATA gets a lot of the McDojo fingers pointed in their direction, too, and I don't know what other associations have a camouflage belt. You may be shocked to see what they do. My friend, who is a BJJ purple at my instructor's school and a 5th degree ATA, teaches at his instructor's ATA school. He tells me all the time he only does it for the extra money. They guarntee a rank promotion every 3 months. They have 18 belts before black belt. Basically, each of the 9 ranks has a belt that's half one color and half the next. They also give out stripes to each belt. The stripes are just pieces of electrical tape and the school charges the students $50 to "test" for them. The only contracts they offer are 1 and 3 years in length. That's my experience with the ATA. But I'm understanding to the idea that it's a franchise. So the head of the association really has little or no control over what's done in the individual schools. The sad part is, this guy has 5 ATA schools in the area and his son has 2 of his own. Needless to say, he gives your association a horrible reputation in the area.

I don't think much would be different at all. Eventually, as more people learned jiu-jitsu, more gi submissions would be learned. Now the person with no gi would be at the advantage. So, overtime, everyone would have shed the gi anyway.

Lineage. Really, it's all about having lineage to the source of whatever art you are studying. Does this ENSURE quality, not necessarily. Does this ENSURE you're not being overcharged, no. There are no guarantees. Since you've already voice you have your doubts about associations, I don't think they are the best way for you to go. And since the other options are the "less reputable" options out there that will basically sell you a belt, there's no point for you to join anything. A good association will offer the following: Lineage Training Access to other instructors (having a great network can't be overrated) Rank But it will probably be expensive and it may not be the kind of training that interests you. With that in mind, you'd have to carefully consider what you want.