baronbvp

I am a southpaw but sometimes I switch without thinking about it, especially if the opponent's right side opens up and I'm on my left. I also do it if I'm tired, since my left can now jab and for some reason it allows me to rest. I tell you what, it throws people off when you switch in the middle.

Remco Pardeol it was, in UFC II. He's from the Netherlands, not Russia. It's been awhile since I've seen it -- when it was first broadcast -- but I think I remember it took awhile to end it. As you say, both are very talented fighters but in the end Gracie was the better fighter. I think BJJ looks very effective and very applicable to the street. I would like to learn it. But street fighting for any duration rarely ends well for anyone. Where do you train? I haven't seen BJJ offered at any dojos near me.

I built a gym into my house with a 12 foot long mirror on one wall. It works great; I realize I am very fortunate. I also sometimes do just one or two moves when I am out and about. You have to be a little careful because you'd get funny looks if you pivoted down into a nice forward stance at Home Depot or somewhere when you thought no one was looking.

Master Jules, you are right. I did just this last night with my renshi's video. Started at Kihon 1, went up to Fyukyu Nidan. Then my son, who is more advanced than I but only 9 years old, started watching the more advanced kata in a later video. But where I was practicing along with renshi in the video, he was just watching and told me, "I already know it, I don't need to practice it." I thought of this thread and said he should practice them all from Kihon 1 on up and he disagreed about going back to the beginning. So I told him that even though I was only a yellow belt, and he's a blue-green, I was going to beat him to black belt since I practicing instead of just watching. I came back to the living room a half hour later and he was practicing his Naihanchi Sandan along with the video. Ahh, motivating kids is great . . .

While I can appreciate your dojo's requirement for minimums, the timeline doesn't seem to allow for more rapid progression by someone who is motivated to work very hard and is also naturally gifted and learns fast. 7 years is a long time if you are focused sharply on your goal and put in the mat time to learn and practice. Does your sensei give waivers to those who show faster progression?

Thank you everyone for your kind comments. Overall, our military is doing a great whether or not you agree they should be in Iraq. It is our pleasure to serve in whatever capacity we can, wherever in the world we are sent. I am interested in a new hybrid martial art being called American Combat Karate among other names. It is basically a hodge-podge of what works when fighting hand-to-hand combat to the death using guns, knives, rope, strings, empty hands, etc. We pilots always planned to survive and evade capture until rescue. Once you are spotted by enemy combatants or even civilians, your capture and certain injury or possible death is just about guaranteed in that part of the world. I tried sparring once with a fellow pilot with our flight gear on, as we would be if we got shot down. It's pretty tough to fight while being lashed into 40 lbs of gear, especially if you had a broken leg or whatever after ejecting into the desert. I thought my 9mm Sig Sauer would come in a lot more handy in that case . . . Anybody heard of or practiced American Combat Karate?

I am still a yellow belt beginner. I find pivoting on my heel to be new and unfamiliar. I've never used my feet that way while fighting. But it works great to keep balance, especially when pivoting more than 180 degress and dropping into forward stance.

Thanks, everyone! I only wish I had started training seriously earlier in life. Can't do anything about that, though, so on I go.

I think this concept is the same in any sport. Sometimes the answer is to let it go and focus on something else, then come back. Maybe you should take classes in a completely unrelated style to open your mind.

Sounds to me like you are doing it right. My wife doesn't do karate, so at home I either spar with my kids or it doesn't happen. We don't go full out but we still learn many things. They are more advanced than me belt-wise but I know more about real fighting than they do, so we all learn. I feel bad if I accidently hit them too hard, but it makes them tougher and they shake it off. I wish my dad had done that with me when I was a kid. They have also gotten some good shots on me, and I wear a cup because they kick low!

Now that you can't get ephedra, getting that belly fat to melt away is tougher. A strong stomach is what you need, whether it's pretty or not is another thing. There is a sensei at my dojo with a big gut, he's over 50. That guy can leave a punch behind you will feel for days.

Thanks! Wow, you have some serious post numbers for only joining in December. Is that how you became member of the month? I don't think I have that much time. My job is kind of busy, but I can see where this could become almost addictive.

Yep. I'm skinny like you. Here's what I did. 1. Eat 2. Eat more 3. Lift heavy, pyramid heavier weight and fewer reps. Do sets of 10-8-6-4-10 reps with heavier weight each set, then the last set of 10 being light 3. Eat 1g of protein per pound of body weight each day 4. Take supplements - go to a GNC or https://www.eas.com Last, look at the Gracies. They are wiry but strong. Do what you can but be glad your metabolism and body type will fight the fat when you're older.

I was amazed when I saw Royce Gracie in the first four UFCs. That alone made BJJ get the attention of America. I would like to learn it because it would complement other knowledge. From what I've seen, most people who don't grapple don't want to go to the ground, and the grapplers do. The trick is to end it before it goes to the ground if you don't know how to ground fight, and to end it on the ground before the cops come if you do. It's all good.

Does it matter if it is technically a martial art if you are dead? I don't think so. Applied martial arts for life or death situations is the same as applied math for building real bridges -- what matters is whether it works.

Try different things and listen to your body. Then do what your body responds to. I like the post about running at high altitude. Ever see the Denver Broncos come from behind in the 4th quarter at Mile High stadium? The other team is gassed. There's a reason the US Olympic Training Center is in Colorado Springs: elevation 6000'. I used to live there and once I got acclimated to the altitude, my workouts and running weren't too bad - you get used to it. Makes any physical activity at sea level easy. Go spar there.

Dude, assuming you are still alive, have you ever noticed that NO chick worth fighting over is ever impressed by your fight, even if you win? Women like men, not boys.

Hi guys. I've been posting things for about two weeks, just saw this intro page. What a great forum this is. I especially like the way Patrick's email system lets me know when someone has posted a reply. I am a yellow belt in Shorin-Ryu hoping to test soon for orange. By profession I am a Navy carrier pilot, with a smattering of training in lots of different stuff, mostly informal. For a few years I focused on military combat arts, in case I got shot down over Afghanistan or Iraq. Luckily that never happened. I haven't lived anywhere long enough where I had the time in this career field to get a belt in any style, but really I just hadn't dedicated myself to it until now. I am 43 with three kids who all practice at my dojo. I am absolutely having a blast, even with sparring and getting smacked in the face once in awhile. It's good for the spirit. The best thing I've found about martial arts is the universal bond between the practioners, regardless of style or skill level. Glad to be on the team!

I hear some of you say high kicks to the head - roundhouse - is what you'd use. I don't like being vulnerable on one leg with an open crotch so long. Of course, I also don't like mean people who need to show off by breaking people's arms in front of a crowd for no reason.

Guess I'll be starting at Kihon 1 and working up from there!

Good points. My renshi likes the straight leg because you don't see it coming quite as much as when someone lifts the knee first and telegraphs the forward kick. The fast splashing hands strike. block, and distract while the straight leg comes up into the groin for a toe kick. I don't like that kick myself, though I have very limitied experience, because the leg seems prone to hyperextension. I am long and skinny, and he is more squat and powerful. As far as the Ali shuffle, one advantage is the quickness to transition from leading with one side to the other or to the side stance, and for facing multiple opponents rapidly. I personally find it a little cumbersome and I keep looking down to watch my feet, which isn't where I want to (or will) look in a fight. Again, I don't have near his experience so I am working without a net here.

He likes the speed and footwork - the application of serious violence rapidly to end a fight. I saw this on the web at https://www.littlenineheaven.com/spintro.html: "Splashing Hands is an extremely practical, no-nonsense art. It features quick shuffling footwork, similar but faster than that used by the famous Mohammed Ali, and low-focused straight leg kicks. These are combined with jabs, punches, elbows, hammer-fists, chops and finger pokes thrown with blinding, machine gun-like rapidity. Opponents have a difficult time defending against the kind of attacks carried out by a fighter trained in Splashing Hands because of the speed with which the techniques are delivered as well as the sheer number of strikes and kicks the opponent has to deal with in a short period of time. Unlike other styles of classical martial arts, which are good for tournament fighting and other controlled sparring situations, Splashing Hands is extremely contemporary in that it is geared strictly for the streets. It is in fact a pure street-fighting system." Why do you think he wouldn't be interested?

Good idea, if the students know them well enough to do them on their own. I have seen some lower belts do them incorrectly and with no one watching, it is easier to get bad habits. But you have to practice at some point, so . . .

I think my federation uses a lot of belts for two reasons: 1. It makes them money every time you test for a belt and pay $30 for a $4 piece of cloth and a certificate. 2. It keeps students motivated, particularly kids, to earn a belt when they've really learned well another kata or two. That keeps students in the dojo and keeps the dojos solvent. I don't really care; I kind of like the idea of white/brown/black from back in the day when the dirtiness of your belt showed your skill level. But even I like to advance. I'm not too keen on paying $30 each time but in the big scheme of things, if it helps the business of karate overall, I don't mind. Our belt system: White Yellow Orange Purple Blue Blue w/Green stripe Green w/White stripe Green Green w/Brown stripe Brown w/White Stripe Brown Brown w/Black stripe Black

My Renshi is all psyched about Splashing Hands, a flowing quick movement style with focused street application. It seems very effective and not too complicated -- probably why it is good in the street. It looks to me like a Kung Fu derivative. Even though he is a 6th Dan in Shorin-Ryu, he is really liking Splashing Hands. We have trained some of it one-on-one and I have to say I really like it, too. He said his new Splashing Hands Master is a 62-year-old man with the most power Renshi's ever seen in a human of any size. Impressive!