ps1

Ha! Wow! Sounds like you should approach them about being their grappling coach in return for free use of the gym. Afterall, if you're hitting gogo-plata, then they need help! Even though you're better than them, you could coach them up to your level and you would all benifit from it.

You got it...Charles Schultz was a genius!

Basically you begin by learning basic strikes. Much like karate style striking. Not as many though. Front kick, gut punch (kind of a very low uppercut), straight punch, knee strikes, elbow strikes and stomps. At the same time you begin with falling drills. As it goes on you learn and apply joint manipulations from the knees as well as learning throwing techniques that are similar to those in Judo. Eventually the joint manipulations move to the standing position and are put together into combinations. The idea is that you are supposed to apply the strikes in such a way that they either blend into the movement of the opponent (aiki) or take the opponent's kuzushi themselves (kiai). There is some ground work too. Triangle chokes, armbars, cross chokes, osikomi (pinning), and some reversal moves. Nothing like what I've done in BJJ. Some places get very spiritual in the art, but not where I studied. It gives a great feel for joint manipulations. However, there is no overall combat strategy in the art (which is true of many many martial arts today). It would be ok for self defense, but not as good as boxing, muay thai, bjj, kyokushin and rbsd systems. Hope that helps.

I practice mma too. I don't have much of a problem getting hit while in the guard. It's just a matter of positioning and controlling your opponent. Additionally, what position do they suggest from the bottom if they don't like guard? Or do they mean for you to sweep and try to stay on top? Which, of course, is ideal.

This brings an image of Dana White on the phone with his mom..."sorry mom. {Wha wa wa} yeah I know {wha wha wa wa} mom! I know! I was mad thats...{wha wha wha} ok mom it won't happen again. {wa wa wa?} Yeah, I'll be there for dinner on Friday. {wha waaaa} Love you too mom, bye." It's really funny in my mind at least.

NightOwl!! Great Post!!! As with many of you, I have been in the martial arts for quite a while now. I've studied many systems over my time (and continue to study them for that matter). Here have been some basic observations. Most every martial art (including those that do the fancy stuff in demos) have been successful on the playground/drunk neighbor/school cafeteria/locker room environment. That is to say, the environments that do not tend to be life threatening. In those situations I've seen several guys use a high side kick or a reverse punch and even a jump kick one time. Again, this is the situation where after the fight, the two guys shake hands and laugh about it later. However, in the kind of situation where a beer bottle breaks and you get hit in the back of the knees with a bat, I would say that all arts are equally unable to handle this with technique alone. It's the person and how intense their training is and how lucky they are at the time. As NightOwl observed, it takes a lot of soul searching to really come to a conclusion on how you would react. I'm very skilled. In nearly every art I've studied, I have always been among the best. But in life, there are no guarntees. In the situation above (and millions of others like it), I'd be in trouble. I guess my point is this. I enjoy watching the fancy demos. I think they require alot of atheleticism and they are just kinda cool. But I've learned to filter out the crap. The people who choose to go there are looking for that. When they walk into my school, I show them what we do but never badmouth another school (not good karma). The rest is in someone elses hands.

As everyone mentioned...they are both fantastic arts. However, unless you're interested in competing, be sure the school you attend is not focused just on competition. In Judo, you will be penalized for things any normal person would do. Things like using a stiff arm to prevent the opponent from getting under you. Bending sharply at the waist for the same reason is also a stalling penalty. In BJJ, those things are allowed because they are normal things a person would do. However, you may only learn three of four take downs in BJJ, despite it having many more. The rest of the time will be spent in standing self defense (10%) and ground work(80%). Judo is Throwing (70%), Kata (15%), self defense (10%), ground (5%). I realize that the throws in Judo and the Ground work in BJJ are all for self defense (mostly). But I'm calling self defense things like bear hug escape, headlock escape, knife defense...ect.

Hmmmm.... this is also a good point. I'm not sure where I stand on this. I guess I didn't care to begin with (that they showed it that is). It may be hypocritical, but not without purpose. The problem isn't that he swears. Heck, I was in the Army for goodness sake. I can have a big potty mouth sometimes. But I think when you are talking about trying to show your sport is classy, dropping the "F" bomb every other word isn't the way to do it. Again, you did mention the audience to whom he was speaking. That may have been the way he thought it would sink in. I'm not offended by it...just thought it was a little odd.

We had this policy at my high school. That was 10 years ago now. It wasn't in response to Columbine, which took place two years after I graduated. It was because they just didn't want fighting. It was an automatic 1 wk suspension for the first offense and you were expelled for the second. They determined it was too difficult to figure out who threw the first punch and what actually constituted a first attack. That is...even though little jonny didn't punch first, he may have been nagging harshly. Maybe he used the "N" word or used a delicate situation against someone. Those are also types of attacks. There was one case where a student had someone making fun of the fact that his mom had killed his father and committed suicide in front of him. I would have punched him too. Anyway, you get the point. Their solution was a zero tolerance policy. It was very effective.

Here's a link with more info about the art: http://www.wado-ryu-karate.com/#Wado hope it's helpful.

First, welcome to the forums. IMO, and as a shotokan 3rd dan, I believe Kyokushin is going to give you a better feel for a self defense situation. This is because they do knockdown tournaments. The intensity is very high and a direct correlation exists between the level of intensity an art is practiced and the art's effectiveness on the street. That said, I believe shotokan to be a more complete art. While Kyokushin practitioners practice kata, it is not as important to them (admittedly I've only met 6 practitioners all of whom voiced this to me. ) Shotokan spends alot of time on kata. The techniques utilized in the arts are virtually identical. The only thing I don't like about knockdown karate tourneys is they, usually, do not allow punches to the head. In the end...if you're looking strictly for an art that will protect you on the street, Kyokushin is probably better (maybe add some boxing lessons too). If you're looking for a very complete art or don't want to get as many bumps and bruises, Shotokan is the way to go. I'd also like to add that I'm not bashing Shotokan, I love the art. I just don't think that, from a fighting standpoint, the average practitioner is going to be as skilled as an average Kyokushin practitioner. Hope this helps.

You could always set him up to shoot on you too. When he does, sprawl and attempt to circle around to the back. You're still likely to end up in side control or in his guard. Either way, you're on top. The only flaw to this is if he does take you down, obviously, you're on bottom again. You could always try what Randy Coture did to Gonzaga. You know, just pick him up and slam him down like a rag doll Just kidding on that one. It was just one of the largest displays of raw power I had ever seen.

Good observation. He could still have kicked them off and then pointed out that it was edited because that's not what they're about. Ratings rule when it comes to TV though.

Big guys can be tough. It takes lots of practice to learn to take them on. Sit over sweeps and guillotine work very well. Best bet is to get on top and take them from there. That way they can't crush you with their weight and their strength matters only a little. Sounds like you need to work on your strategy a little. Your first mistake was shooting in on a guy who is that big. Hope this helps.

Any skilled Jiujitsu expert will agree with this. Read Renzo Gracie's book "Mastering Jiujitsu" and he clearly outlines three distinct phases of combat (free movement, standing clinch (grabbed in anyway) and ground combat). He points out that the idea of Jiujitsu is to move your opponent into the phase where you have the most advantage over him. I would have to say the clinch is one of the best areas. This is contrary to the popular belief that BJJ is laying on your back and applying armbars all day. I agree 100%. If someone sucker punches you and you end up there, it's better than letting the guy beside you where he can apply alot of damage. There's nothing wrong with it when you know it's just one on one as in the video. But when you're trying to defend yourself in an unknown situation, you could be inviting more trouble from your opponent's buddies. They are going to make it really hard to get up once you're already on the ground. But hey, if you do get a perfect double leg and drop the guy right on his head...it just might be lights out and you're still standing. I guess it's just going to depend on how confident you are with those skills. I think you're right here. The only reason the guy could defend himself like that is becasue he knew it was one on one. That's what happens when you use sport techniques for self defense. I found it funny that the drunk guy was fighting more intellengently than the sober guy. He kept getting up and avoiding being taken down. Slamming the head was a stroke of genius (and it ended the fight). However, most grappling schools that focus on self defense tell you to release an armbar or triangle as soon as you feel the opponent begin to pick you up. A big reason for this is because being slammed is a huge weakness. At that point they should get back up or attack the legs. This guy is just used to having a cushy mat below him. He figured he'd get away with it. The guillotine wasn't a problem. Better techniques, IMO, from the guard are the sweeps (scissor series if the oppoent stays low and hook/sickle if he stands). They allow you to secure a mounted position and can be obtained from the positions your opponent must assume in order to strike. Even in the worst case you sweep the opponent and stand back up. I'm extremely happy those guys got the boot. It annoys me that meatheads have come to represent the martial arts in the eyes of the public these days. I agree with whoever said Dana should clean up his mouth a little. Someone suggested uniforms. There are just too many sponsors for that to happen. Imagine NASCAR if they all had to wear the same thing. It wouldn't exist. Same goes for MMA. Those guys survive through sponsorships.

I agree Bushido. In Aiki Jujitsu everything begins with atemi (vital stroke). There is nothing saying this can't or shouldn't be done. Even an eye strike that falls on the eye lids should give an opening to run. Remember BJJ (although not the only art) also teaches a very effective way to stand while creating distance from the opponent, not everything is rolling around. As far as escalation...100% of attempted and completed rapes end in injury or death of the victim (DOJ website). So I suggest doing whatever possible to escape. Additionally, cross, I agree with where you're coming from. However, in the US the Department of Justice does not perform studies that determine what types of attacks fended off a would-be rapist. They just put it into two categories. They are Passive Resistance (Begging, crying, and hiding) or Active Resistance (biting, striking, running, or grappling). THey show that less than 10% of rapes are prevented with Passive resistance. Roughly 65% of rapes are prevented using Active Resistance. Point is...in the US at least, there's no imperical evidence saying that grappling (Submission style) is more or less effective than biting or scratching the vital points. This is how I handle it in teaching. If the classes are a once a week "self defense" class that is temporary or has a set number of weeks, I teach very basic things that utilize the natural startle reactions. Very much as you described. However, for the student that is coming to a regular class, we teach martial arts. I the case of the school I'm currently in...that's BJJ primarily. You don't have to eat, sleep, and drink it. We have a few women who train. One has been training for about a year and is quite capable of handling the large guys who come in off the street. Is she the norm? For the average student who trains in BJJ consistently for about a year, yes. No doubt, that training must be kept up or the skills will degrade however. You're certianly correct when it comes to the psychological part. But the only way to train that is intense and realistic training. It's not uncommon during open mat for the instructor to sneak up behind someone take them down and start rolling when the opponent wasn't ready. The boxing 1,2 is a great combo. Women, despite popular belief, are just as able to knock someone out as men. They are corridinated attacks. Again, however, they must be trained. Are they for the 3 hour seminar...no. But for the consistent student, they will become habit (which is what martial arts train...new habits). Of course all of this assumes you even see the attacker coming or feel you're in danger at all. Nearly 75% of rapes are committed by someone the attacker though she knew. Usually, it is committed under the influence of some sort of drug. But that takes us into the realm of situational awareness, chain of drinks, staying in groups and so on. I'm sure we don't disagree that teaching those sorts of things are more important than the fighting techniques themselves. I guess my point is that I don't disagree with the idea that eye pokes and groin strikes, biting and such should be used. However, a solid punch on the jaw, rear naked choke, or knee bar can be just as effective. Escalation is a non-issue since the chances of injury otherwise are 100%. Part of the mental injury women go through is the feeling of helplessness that ensues. It destroys their self image and some never regain it. This, unfortunately, lies beyond our ken. That must be handled by experts in psychology, social workers, and the victim herself. Thanks.

Did you happen to notice that to be raped (a woman's top concern in physical self defense) ...the opponent is in your guard? Try to rape Kyra Gracie and see what happens to you. It's all fair game. Guillotines, sit-over sweeps, knee in belly (scissor) sweeps, arm bars, triangle choke, cross choke (depending on what the opponent is wearing), omoplata, elevators...the list goes on. I would say that of all the possible scenarios for self defense...Rape is best combated by Brazilian Jiujitsu! Again, just talking about physical self defense (not situational avoidance and such) the other things they need are boxing strikes, probably just jab, cross, and maybe the hook, and the low line round house. Once the attacker gets you to the ground, which is highly likely, it's all jiujitsu. Also, keep in mind that you're just seeing clips. Which, by definition, are portions of a whole. You could watch clips of boxing and assume it's not effective...same goes for any other martial art. Of course, these assumptions would not necessarily be true. Lastly, as I've seen you post before, self defense is best learned by using training methods that are realistic. Brazilian Jiujitsu is one of the arts that offers 100% resistance and very intense training. That is one of the reason that it, Muay Thai, Boxing, and wrestling tend to dominate the MMA scene.

Rate of bleeding has to do with alot of factors. Among them are your platelet count, blood thickness, heart rate at the time, and blood pressure. When you're heart is beating fast (as is usually the case in fighting) then it's rapidly sending blood out to the body. Bleeding will be more perfuse than normal. All bruising is bleeding under the skin. Bleeding and bruising are very much an individual thing. For example...I've been hit in the face alot and have NEVER had a nose bleed. Other people start to bleed when the sneeze. I think the problem is that you're letting yourself still get hit in the head. Even though you're getting hit in the hands, your hands are then hitting you. If you press them to your head, your then you get the same effect, without any direct head strike. You'll still get the jolt of course. If you're dad's worried he can always have the doctors give you a CT scan or MRI.

The best bet is to get ahold of a business attourney in your area or the area chamber of commerce or local government. This way they can tell you exactly what you'll need to open the school. I've never heard of a Teaching Lisence being necessary for a martial arts school. That's usually a certification given from the orginization you're affiliated with. If you have no affiliation...you don't need one (I'm 99.9% sure on that one). Certianly you'll need insurance. Also, make up some flyers (nothing too fancy) or news letters and see if the local town newspaper will insert them. For small distribution papers this can often be free. Don't forget to have some students. Opening cold can be done...but you'll need to have money in the bank so you can pay for all your bills without students for at least two or three months. Just in case they are slow to come. A game plan is also great. There's nothing more annoying than when I call an instructor and ask about what they teach. Then I get a response like...well we do this and that and this. It's like they don't know how to describe it. Know exactly how you want to describe your school. Is it self defense focused? Is it sport focused? Fitness focused? And have an answer on why you focus on what you do. Good luck!

Me too. But I knew there were tons of differences there (having a BB in Aiki Jujitsu). However, I never knew there were differences in the way Aikido was done in the past and the way it's done now. I found that very informative.

Look. I see it this way. The reason Brazil is so far away from Ohio is because the Brazilians knew I'd come along one day. They knew they wouldn't be able to handle my mad skills so they made sure their country was really far away from me Seriously though. You're definitely right that guys like Renzo G. Saulo, Rickson, Marcello (the list is too long to name everyone) are in a league all their own. My goal is to gain some terrific skill some day. I'm ok now...but that's not good enough. Probably never will be:)

amazing...it's like the guy is in my head.

Huh...Like Bushido, I'm not sure what to think of it. Incredible skill...that's for sure. I even found myself going ooohh and ahhh when some of the bigger hits landed. But then I remembered that they are kids. I found that part to be a little disturbing. Seems like too much pressure for a child of just 11 to endure. Plus, the possible damage that can occur while they are still maturing is huge. Great looking fight either way you cut it. I also liked the way it pitted shaolin vs kyokushin. Thanks for sharing.

The fact that he lived as an Uchi Deshi is awesome. I had an instructor who was an uchi deshi in Japan. They eat, sleep, and breathe training. Plus everything else he's done. He would be great to work with.

You're not kidding. We brough Saulo Ribeiro in for a seminar last Feb. This guy has skills that are from another planet. My instructor has been training for 12 years. Saulo made him look like he'd never seen Jiujitsu before. He could name the technique he wanted and the position he would get it from. Absolutely sick. Professor Sauer makes a habit of preventing guys from passing his guard without even using his hands. It's absolutely amazing what skilled guys can do.