Dragn

I was a TKD 2nd degree before I took up full contact karate and Muay Thai, so I was used to using snappy high kicks from my lead leg, in a side on stance. This didn't work so well against kick boxers.The stance leaves you open to leg kicks. Also, The kicks lack power, good for point fighting but not for full contact. For a while I stopped using them to focus on Muay Thai. Then as my Muay Thai got better I started intergrating them back in and modifying them to work from a more square stance. Now I use both lead and rear leg similar to the way I use my hands. Lead Leg/hand for speed, keeping opponent at a distance, annoying and frustrating him and setting him up for a power hit from the rear leg /hand. I use the lead leg for: low kicks to the inner thigh. Occassionally the rear outer thigh with a shuffle step. front kicks to the gut/face. Roundhouse to jaw/temple. The slightly squared stance alows for a touch more power, and I focus more on really driving through the target and down. Sweep to inner ankle. Occassionally the axe kick. I rarely throw side kicks. Maybe after a round house has missed and I'm slightly turned away from my opponent and he tries to rush in. So its kind of like a back kick. Of course I also use switch step round house from the lead leg for power. Dont do hook kicks from lead leg. No power. And you really need to be in a side on stance to throw it.

OOOOOOUUUUUCH! Is that for real? Naa c'mon its gotta be computer graphics right? Please.....or I'm gonna be having nightmares about that one. As if I wasn't paranoid enough about my bruised and battered shins already.

I have to admit, I love kicking people in the head. One of my favourites is setting up with a Lft Hook, circling to your left and then throwing a Rt roundhouse to your opponents head as he moves into it. Doubles the impact. Also a Brazilian Type roundhouse. Start the kick like a front kick or a low round house then wip it up and over into opponents jaw or temple. It takes a bit of agility and practise and its not quite as powerfull as a normal RHouse but it really rattles your opponent.I've had to stop myself from using this too often in sparring cause I just nail everybody with it. Watch some of Fetosa's or Filos K1 fights. they use this kick alot.(maybe too much) I also like to use the eyes on their leg and low kicks to set it up as mentioned by others. Then theres pushing your opponent into the ropes and jumping round house him as he bounces back.Aaaaaah so so many ways to have fun!

I was lucky to sit in on 1 of Soke Hatsumi's closed door sessions for his black belts, here in Japan. It was very interesting. He demonstrated the kind of grace and effortless movement you expect to see from someone holding the title of grandmaster. He taught some very interesting concepts and I got alot out of it. However it wasn't a MA that I would chose to do.Thats just my personal preferance. They did alot of 1 step technique drills which I felt were too animated for practitioners of that level. And no free sparring of any kind. Something I strongly disagree with. Of course alot of the material was for serious maming and killing, often with the use of rather obscure weapons, making sparring in the techniques somewhat difficult. But still I felt the lack of free sparring had given the students a distorted view of combat and it showed in their technique. Plus both Hatsumi and his top students were eager to put down and ridicule the methods of other martial arts which they had no experience in. I think any half decent MT or MMA fighter could have walked in and wiped the floor with any one of them. But the Bujinkan is a pretty big organisation. No doubt there are some guys out there teaching the material in a more realistic mannor.

Cheers bro, I appreciate you taking the time to share your advice.

Thanks for the advice SS. I'm training 4 days a week at present. 2 days at my karate dojo, and 2 at a MuayThai / BJJ gym. Taking one class of each. A typical day would be: shadow 3 rounds technique drills: 6-8 rounds Thai pads: 4 rounds heavy bag: 2-3 rounds sparring: 6-10 rounds I also try to run about 4k, 2-3 times a week. No weight training at present but I'm intending on starting soon. Usually the trainers tell us to keep control of our power during sparring. We still go pretty hard but its just not as full on as a tourney fight. I could do some harder sparring with some of the pros who train after MT class, but usually I'm just too exausted. I'll have a word with my trainer and see if I can organise some sparring sessions with the pro's and just have them put some pressure on me. You're right, I do have a tendancy to backpedal. Gotta work on moving sideways more, and countering as soon as my opponent attacks, rather than let him pressure forward with combos.

3 mins. For tournaments just one round, unless you draw, which will lead to an extra round. For one match fights, and amature kickboxing, 2 rounds. I did pretty good in some sanshou tournaments and amature kick, against less experienced opponents.Then I came up against an experienced kyokushin black belt in an amature kick boxing match and he TKO'd me in the first round. He came at me really full on and I just kinda froze up. It really shattered my confidence. I've lost 2 fights in a row since then, by judges decision.Basically because I'm not attacking enough. Its not a skill or a lack power etc problem, its a mental thing.Which makes it really hard to overcome. I just seem to be hesitating and holding back. Maybe I'm just thinking too much. I've got another amature kick fight comming up in 2 months. I aint gonna give up. I just gotta dig down deep and find the aggression I need to get over this hurdle. I was hoping to hear about the experiences of some of you more experienced ring fighters to get some inspiration.

Its not that easy for me. I have to get really mad before I go on the offensive. I'm generally a defensive counter fighter. In 1 round full contact Karate tournies Its very short and intense. No time to play around, you just gotta go hard. I find I'm just starting to get fired up when its too late. I know I have to be physically relaxed.The trick is in finding the right ballance of physical relaxation with enough agro to put me on the offensive. I find if I'm just concentrating on relaxing before the fight, then I haven't got the necessary drive at the beginning, and get driven back on the defensive. Some fighters look so agro like they just cant wait to tear into their opponent.(eg:Silva) Others look like they'd rather be taking a nap!(eg:Emiliaenko) What are you telling yourself just before a fight? What are you thinking as you step into the ring?

Seven star, how do you manage to do all that training and still reply to 15 posts a day!!!

I've studdied a variety of stuff over the years. I've committed myself to daidojuku karate now. I like the way it combines the Budo spirit and no nonsense practicality of kyokushin with an open minded approach to incorporating whatever works, similar to JKD. It combines karate,Muay Thai, Judo, and BJJ into one comprehensive system. Different teachers often specialise in different areas. My dojo is heavily MT influenced, which suits me as I've found MT to be one of the most effective arts I've trained in. I like the emphasis on realistic sparring in all ranges, and without combersome gloves or rules, allowing for the use of grabbing, elbows,knees, throws, chokes,locks,.......making it not only a really tough competitive sport but a very street effective MA also. Our comps use MMA type rules but we wear helmets, and go at it practically bare knuckle. I like the helmets because it allows for realistic bareknuckle head punching without too much damage, and also because it allows me to fight with my contacts in. Without them I have trouble seeing my opponent. Blind as a bat!!!

When I was doing TKD we did non contact sparring. Back then I had all kinds of dellusions about how dangerous I was. I remember getting into a fight at school, when I threw a roundhouse Kick into this kids face.Got him easily.Only problem was that I snapped my foot back as soon as it hit, just like I had practised over and over in the dojo. The result: he laughed, grabbed me by the shirt and flung me round and to the ground. Neither of us was hurt ,bar my ego,BUT I sure learned a lesson about the role of muscle memory. Its been said already, you fight how you train. Even those arts which are heavily focused on street SD need to include some form of full contact sparring in your training just to get used to the dynamic of real conflict and getting hit. Yeah you may have to restrict the use of so called leathal techniques, but the benifits far outweigh the drawbacks. Otherwise you run the risk of living in a fantasy. Injuries are a downer though. I'm 34 and I spar full contact at least 3 days a week. I'm constantly injured and I do worry about the long term damage. I wont be able to keep up this kind of training into my 40's. But after all we do practise MARTIAL arts don't we? How can we practise fighting without hurting each other occassionally? I dont think thats realistically possible.

I'm not a naturally aggressive person. But I love doing MA, especially sparing. But when it comes to competitions, my lack of agression, has cost me a couple of fights that I should have won. How do you get yourself mentality amped just before you get in the ring? Do you focus on relaxing your nerves and staying focused, or are you just thinking KILL,KILL,KILL! I'm sure everyones different. Trying to stay relaxed isnt working for me. I need a new approach.

I agree that there is alot more to MA than just fighting. And those who train for the fighting aspect alone are really missing out on the real value of what MA training has to offer. But then again, I spent years training in arts that really weren't very realistic in the application and practise of the techniques. After years of training I still couldn't match the skills of fighters trained in full contact arts with half the experience I had. It was pretty exasperating. Whats the point in putting your heart soul sweat and years into a fighting art that simply isn't very effective? Now I try to keep a ballance of practical fighting skills and self development. I also agree that the chances of me needing my skills to defend myself on the street are pretty slim. Especially here in Japan! So to focus only on street defence skills is pretty pointless. Thats why I compete in kickboxing and mixed MA events. Not only do they provide me with a chalenge and a medium to test my skills in a real fight, but I also see it as an essential part of my inner development. Its relatively easy to be all zen and focused in solo training, but the real test of your inner strenth and mental development comes when you face an opponent whos determined to knock you out!

I deffinately dont do it for the social reasons. When I enter the dojo I enter a whole different state of mind. I'm completely focused on my goals to learn, train hard and master what I'm doing. I hardly say a word, and I hate it when classmates try to chat about unrelated topics. Outside of class is a different story. Rolling around on the ground with a bunch of sweaty guys aint my idea of a fun social life anyway. It was going too far with my social life, partying and drinking, that caused me to stop training for many years. I started training cause I wanted to move like Bruce and Jackie and those awesome Shaolin monks.Over the years my motivations have changed many times. Now ,I know its a cliche, but it really is a way of life. It influences every aspect of my life. Its a constant process of discipline, courage, humility,and self inspection. I'm constantly pushing myself to face the challenges life presents and confront them with a warrior mindset . Even if I lost the use of my limbs I think I would continue to train my mind and heart. But I sure hope that doesn't happen!

I Know what you feel. The concepts of Budo have had a major influence in my life. I always try to follow the path and do what I know is the right thing. I do a poor job of it ,and most people these days scoff at my ideals of living a life of principle, but I find it to be a most rewarding path. I recently stopped training with one of my teachers because of his total disregard for the welfare of his students, and general poor conduct. It sucks because his knowledge of technique was superb and I was really learning alot from him. But I just couldn't handle his badass attitude and the way he condoned the use of MA for street violence. His reason for training was basically so he could F* people up. When I saw him try to pick a fight with some innocent passerby kids on the street I knew I had to leave. I just could'nt allow myself to be associated with such a looser any longer. With the decline of traditional values taught in dojos these days, I fear these kind of martial thugs are becomming alot more common.

I watched a guy practising a pinan kata which was almost exactly the same as one of the ITF TKD hyungs I practised many years ago. Anybody know more about exactly what and where Gen Choi practised?

For me learning MA is alot more than just learning how to fight. Particularly those arts with a "do" philosophy. As in karatedo. "Do" refers to a way or a path of living, involving constant introspection and striving for harmony. Meditation is a usefull tool for achieving a high level of inner awareness which is necessarry for someone seeking to understand the deeper aspects of their art. I wish I made time to do it more often. But I think if I was to start meditating in my dojo, my fellow students would think I was a bit of a nut. Which is pretty sad really. It shows how shallow many of our arts have become.

A white belt with a couple of months training in a full contact sparring class? I say wait. Work on the basics. I dont think your ready to really get much benefit from sparring yet. There is plenty of time. Learn to walk before you run or you'll just end up tripping over your own feet. I personally think starting contact sparring too early is more detrimental than beneficial. Creates bad habits. Work on learning your techs and doing drills with a partner till your body has developed a natural feel for the movement. Make your foundation strong.

I'm always sparring with my sensei. I get a few good hits on him, but I know he's holding back.As soon as I start to tire or show weaknesses in my defence He lets loose a little and beats the crap out of me.In a nice way of course! Just enough to make me realise what I'm doing wrong, and that I've still got a long way to go, and to help toughen me up. I appreciate it. My opponents in the ring wont be so forgiving. I dont think hes ever really injured me seriously.Its usually sparring with other green and brown belts that the injuries happen.

Yeah I actually saw that on TV here last week. I cracked up!HAHAHAHA! The guy with the bat was high on crack or something.When the cops took off he jumped in the patrol car and was trying to make an escape! It took 4 of them to finally drag him from the car.He was so delerious from the drugs he just crumpled to the ground wimpering. My old Mother could've beaten the crap out of him!!!! It doesn't surprise me though. the cops here are so pathetic at times. Its like they are afraid to use any kind of force. I guess thats what happens when you live in one of the safest countries on the planet.

I learnt both front and back flips on a tramp first. I practised till i could do them without bouncing first. then got down on the lawn and went for it. Of course I crapped out the first time.But it wasn't as painfull as I had feared and I realised it was a matter of commitment.You have to decide that your gonna do it no no matter what.If you give it a half * attempt you're gonna wipe out. Actually front flips are more dangerous if you dont make it. landing on your tail bone can really hurt.Once I over spun and face planted the ground and broke my nose.Ouch! oops didn't mean to put you off! For back flips follow seven stars advice.Focus on jumping high and tucking. You'll probably land on your hands and feet the first time but it dosen't hurt.Just commit youself and you'll do it. Good luck!

I think some of these references to sparring as a game of tag come from people who do non or semi contact sparring, or point fighting rules. I've trained at dojos like that and I'd agree that THAT kind of sparring dosen't do much for your fighting skills. But the dojos I train at now put on gear and go for it full contact. I assure you it aint no game! You either defend yourself or get beaten down to the ground. We do exercise controll, especially on lower grades. But its very real. Without this kind of training your just not going to be prepared to deal with the violence of a real attack. Practising in the air or in 1 step attacks with a partner are not enough to stimulate a resisting live opponent. You'll find out that alot of those so called dangerous moves and wristlocks/takedowns etc dont always work effectively against an aggressive resisting opponent. Especially when hes coming at you with fast powerfull combinations. Kata is fine but kata alone will not prepare you for combat

I train between 3 and 6 days/week. Usually 2 days at Karate/MMA 1 day at Muay Thai. 1 day at BJJ. MT and BJJ are already incorporated into my MMA training, but I like to take classes in each separarely to focus on finer points. Then I take 2 or 3 classes/month in Ryukyu Kempo to learn more specific SD techs, kata,bunkai and do some serious full contact kumite. Besides the formal classes I sometimes train at home, and run 2 - 4 days/ week. I'm trying to find time to fit weights into my program. I've started many times but cant manage to keep it going Regular.

I practise a full contact karate/mma style. We spar with either fingerless bag gloves or bare knuckles/ shinpads / mouthpiece / groin cup and a plastic bubble faced head gear. This headgear allows us to throw headpunches / elbows / knees etc without the use of cumbersome boxing gloves. I feel boxing gloves allow for various cover up defences that dont work so effectively without the gloves on. We can then use our hands more effectively for grabs, throws, chokes etc. So we are able to use all our weapons in a realistic mannor with pretty hard contact. Of course the down side is your visibility is sometimes reduced by fogged up visors and its really hard to breathe. It takes alot of getting used to. The head gear is also a little cumbersome on the ground. So we also do ground sparring without the gear on. I feel this is the most realistic way to free spar. How many others out there use this kind of sparring? Thoughts, oppinions, alternatives?.........

I disagree with both options. You dont spar to show anybody anything.Its simply a tool for learning just like your drills and kata and everything else. When I spar I'm trying to learn to use the skills I've learnt against a resisting opponent.The level of contact can vary according to your opponents level. It can get pretty full on between more experienced fighters, but there is allways a certain amount of controll. I dont go all out for a KO unless I'm in the ring or a tournament. When we controll our power we still know when we've landed a blow that could've been a KO if we had been going full on, and we both acknowledge it. Still we do sometimes drop each other with pretty solid blows.We just try to avoid any serious injuries that will prevent us from being able to walk home!