Snakeeel

http://www.shaolin.com/styles_shaolin.aspx Good site with an explanation. Way too complicated to do any justice here.

As a Christian I see no conflict between martial arts and my faith. Those that see evil in MA will see evil in everything.

We really don't block punches. I'd go under or around it then do my thing, which with a guy like that can be just about anything I want.

I agree with vertigo...power and speed come with using the whole body, not just your arms or legs. We train in self defence so why would we run away? I will avoid a fight if possible but I'll be darned if my stubborn pride is going to let me run away.

If you are looking for more of a combat art you might take a look at Kung Fu San Soo. Lots of San Soo schools in OC.

If you have "rules" it's a sport art...not a combat art.

Http://martialarts.etotalsource.com has some good video clips.

My bad...thats never happened to me. But then I don't hit the head much...too much bone!

Does it matter?

Budo...shmudo. Never heard of it...don't care about it. No offense but that is your art...and your philosophy...not mine. I've had to use my training on only a few occassions...not were of my choosing...but I feel no shame. That is a rediculous statement for you to make.

He will be vulnerable at the knees, ankles, throat, eyes, nose, groin...if you can find it:) Speed is the key here, along with multiple hits to vulnerable areas. As others have said...don't let his size fool you....I've seen "fat" guys that could move like cats!

There are literally so many soft targets on the human body that it makes no sense at all to ever hit anything that is harder than your hand. For example: Eyes, groin, solar plexus, kidney, liver, spleen, throat. Not to mention lots of joints that can be hyperextended or broken with little effort. With this abundance of targets, why would you choose to disfigure your own body by beating up on wooden dummies, tree's, etc.? Hitting bone with your knuckles is never a smart move.

San Soo

Brown belt Kung Fu San Soo

Trust me when I say that you will pay tomorrow for what you do to your body today. Why hit something hard when there are some many nice soft targets to go for?

No one said you could only elbow someone in the head. Elbows to the solar plexis work great...elbows to the groin...kidneys, liver, spleen, inside of the thigh, outside of the knee...if your life is in danger...to the throat. Great close in weapon...especially for us short guys!

I guess I'm just one of the lucky 30%. By the way...I've seen more "real fights" than you've dreamed of in your 16 years on the planet...no offense.

You guys need to get over the idea that all fights end up as a grappling match...that is absolutely not the case. Quit watching the UFC fights. That is not street fighting. Street/bar fights, between adults are damned ugly affairs. I'm 5 ft. 5 inches tall...155lbs...hell, everyone is bigger and stronger than me...if I go to the ground I'm in a world of hurt. I will take out your eyeballs, I will eat your nose, I will break your arms or legs, I will kill you before I let you take me to the ground. If, by some quirk you do get me to the ground, I will not wrestle with you, I will not try to make you submit, I will bite, scratch, gouge...whatever it takes to get you off of me. Then I'm going to really be po'd.

I'm sorry, but only those that do not practice San Soo think that you can spar with it. We do not have the "give and take" techniques used by other systems. Our system is designed to end the fight within seconds. An opponent does not get an opportunity to throw multiple punches and kicks. Unfortunately I have been forced to "test it" on a few occasions...I say unfortunately because I don't like to fight. But on each occasion the fight was over before it got started...just like it's supposed to happen. San Soo is brutal, sudden violence. It's combat...not sport. There is no way to effectively spar with it and any practitioner will tell you the same thing. If you are sparing...you are not using San Soo.

You will fight as you train. If you train using "techniques that are not as dangerous' that is what you will use in a fight. If your life is on the line you do not want to use the less dangerous technique. San Soo does not lend itself to sparing. I'm a brown belt in San Soo and I have worked out with Blackbelts from other systems who insist on sparing. As long as I keep it tame...give and take...it goes pretty well. But, as soon as they give the go ahead to fight as we're taught in San Soo...it's over. Within seconds they are on the ground and the ref is calling "stop". As a true fighting art, San Soo teach's us to break, maim or kill. Fights are literally over before they start. You don't need to worry about how to fight against a boxer, kick boxer, etc. In the end it all works out the same. God, I read this and it sounds like bragging but it's not...San Soo is brutal and violent and that the just the way it is! Obviously, the art is only as effective as the individual practitioner...so work hard...train hard and never doubt the style.

Iron Ducky: My primary instructor was Dennis Kirby. Although my signature shows me as a white belt I actually hold a brown belt degree. In a real fight techniques pretty much go out the window. My philosophy is to hit what ever moves. With one of the opponents that night it was over with a back hand hammer to the temple...he was out. For the second guy I merely stepped in, grabbed him by the hair as I continued to pivot, took him through two tables that were bolted to the floor and threw him on top of the pool table where he decided to stay put. The third guy was coming at me with a pool cue, swinging it like a baseball bat. I stepped into it, curled my left arm around it and twisted it out of his hands. An elbow to the side of his head and he was done. Ect. Do not doubt that it works. You do not need the element of surprise. The sudden violence that you will inflict on the poor slob that you're fighting will end the fight within seconds. This is the most violent style I've ever seen...and it works.

I was a student of san soo many years ago at the old Frank Woolsey studios. While it was a very aggressive and sometimes brutal style, I would not consider any of the students or instructors "thugs". When involved in a real street fight where your life may be at risk, there is no such thing as fighting fair. To this day, 25 years later, I feel confident that I could handle just about any situation that may come up. I've only had to use it twice. Once against multiple attackers and once one on one. There was no contest. Both fights were over in seconds and I was unscathed in both instances. I did not fight fair but I walked away...they eventually were able to.