UseoForce

That was in answer to bushidoman's post. As far as you're concerned, why would you need forearm pads?Like I said, that's more TKD/Point sparring stuff. They are seldom used in MMA-style training. If you still want some (if you want to train with forearm shots (?)) I think Combat Sports International has some better alternatives.

Thanks, I'll consider that.

OK, I was on vacation for a week. Ate OK and did pushups, sit ups, pull ups, squats, lunges etc. While certainly not a replacement for a gym, it was the best I could do. My regular program uses the push-pull system. Instead of doing arms one day, back the next, etc, I group my exercises by movement. So I do chest, tricep, and certain shoulder muscles on Push days and Lats, biceps, traps, lumbar, etc on my pull days. On some of my workouts I focus more on core area muscles more (like chest and lats) and others I focus more on extremities (tri's and bi's). Anyway, that's just for clarification. On Tuesday, I lifted at the gym for the first time since coming back from vacation. It was a "Pull" workout (Pull ups, rows, deadlifts, curls, etc.) My strength was pretty well maintained, and I even increased my max deadlift by 10 pounds. Cool. Today, I did a "Push" workout (Various types of bench press, shoulder press, push ups, etc.) I had lost TONS of strength since last time I had a good gym workout. This is not the first time this has happened. This is the core of my problem: I have trouble retaining my strength in many "pushing" exercises, especially the bench press. Why is this and how can I prevent it? It really frustrates me when I have to spend a week or two just getting back to where I was before vacation.

I would suggest going to the Sherdog forums (different web site), going to their "Diet and Supplement" section and reading the stickies. There is TONS of great info there, and links to even more.

Good choice on the book, Bushido. BJJBeginner: 1. BJJ is designed to help smalller people defeat larger and stronger foes, and it (unlike MANY other arts) actually has tons of evidence to back up that claim. 2. EVERYONE gets his butt kicked when he first starts BJJ. It's a learning experience. You wouldn't be learning very much if you dominated everybody from the beginning now would you? As for your physical conditioning, BJJ will do nothing but improve it. You could also start doing supplementary strength, cardio, and other kinds of physical training. I suspect you are young yet, so get some help from someone who knows what he is talking about. 3. BJJ WILL help you gain confidence and self-respect.

The "Martial Armor" might be good stuff, but I have no experience with it personally. That's more TKD/Point karate sparring gear, not my specialty

CSI (Combat Sports International) has I believe 3 superior, heavily padded glove designs, though I use lighter ones myself.

I love MA training videos, help me tons, and expose me to other outlooks on the martial arts.

It may be because you have weak abs. Weak abs force your lower back muscles to do more work, which can lead to all kinds of problems.

I've seen it, but I can't buy THAT for $15 bucks!

I want to add that merely training in a striking art and a grappling art DOES NOT make you a well rounded fighter. For example, if you do BJJ on Tues and Thursday, and train Muay Thai on Saturday, you still aren't a well rounded fighter. You also need to know how to put those two styles together into a cohesive system. You need to be able to use both styles fluidly. Mark Hatmaker addresses this in his book, Savage Strikes.

Empirical evidence definately points to the jab as the better striking weapon.

This discussions always amuse me. It just seems so simple to me (and like minded people): Weapons were invented to give people an advantage in combat. That's why soliders, cops, and regular guys carry them.

Invest in quality gear. Forget century cloth gloves, get some Combat Sports International, Ouano, or a similar type of glove. Trust me, you don't want crap gloves, because pretty soon you'll have to shell out more cash for a replacement pair. Been there. Century stuff, IMO (and experience), is of marginal to average quality.

The Pit Workout DVD http://www.sherdog.com/eshop/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=354 I've been waiting for something like this forever! It's finally here! I watched the preview video and ordered shortly thereafter (Found a deal for about 15 bucks including shipping). When I get it I'll post my thoughts. I'm really excited about this. It is so hard to find solid info on MMA conditioning and here's 3 hours of my favorite fighter's program on DVD!

scare tactics

thearma.org

Western MA=Highly underrated

No, it's not REAL but it is AS REAL AS IT GETS. It is the closest approximation of a streetfight that is socially and legally acceptable.

I'd assume the predictability percieved in capoeira came from sparring with someone who only knew how to make 1 or 2 techniques work smoothly in the ginga, and only executed them from one side.

Thank you for providing an example of those that entirely miss the point. I didn't say that all styles are equal, I said the person makes them good, not the style make the person good. In your second paragraph, you say this yourself. You mention that for some things Tai Chi is great, but for self defence, it's not good. I hate to burst your bubble, but all styles have something they are not very good at. For you, the definition of "Good" might mean it's self defence qualities, but it's not the same for everyone. Tai Chi is a good style, it just depends what you are looking for. If you ask a Tai Chi practitioner what they think of boxing, they might think the same as what some might think about Tai Chi, that's it's not that good. That's because what the Tai Chi practitioner is looking for is not what the boxer is looking for. 1. All styles have weak points, but some styles' weak points and gaps are much bigger than others'. 2. I didn't say Tai Chi is a bad style. I said it was a poor choice for self defense purposes (and it is). 3. Obviously, a person's goals will determine his or her view of a particular style. I agree there. 4. I'm sorry if I misunderstood, but the statement you made "No art is better than another" led me to believe that you're saying all styles are equal. I disagree with that for the reasons stated in my previous post. If that's not what you meant, sorry

No, the UFC does represent a real fight. However, it is "as real as it gets" and UFC/PRIDE fighters ARE the best fighters in the world. As far as fights going to the ground, the 90% statistic is for serious, life threatening encounters. That's what I train for. If I talk about fights, I'm not talking about schoolyard fights or some pompous guy who wants to get in a shoving match. I'm not concerned about training for non-life threatening encounters. First of all, my stuff is easily ramped down to the level of my assailant's assault. Second, by it's very nature, if it isn't life threatening, it's secondary in training. So I will train for the ground knowing that if I am ever if a fight for my life, that's where I'll probably end up.

Sorry to kill the thunder, but one thing is wrong. All styles are NOT equal. To avoid insulting people, I won't mention names, but some styles are great for self defense and others are not. Others give a great workout but have no philisophical benefits. The assumption that ALL styles are equal is preposterous. Does it really make sense, if you think about it, that every style ever created is just as good as the next? Does it make sense to you that the latest "Mcstyle" (my word, used under copyright ) created by some brown belt is equal to Shaolin, Wing Chun, Shotokan, or MMA? Furthermore, how "good" a style is isn't determined by a peron's skill. It is determined by the needs of that person. Tai Chi, as it is taught most places in the US, is a very poor choice for self defense. That's just the nature of the art. It does not mean Tai Chi is bad. It offers philisophical and some excersise benefits. But in terms of self defense, tai chi (as it is commonly taught, I know there is a more combative kind) is not a "good" style.

Good post, my point exactly.

IT"S TERRIBLE! TRASH! Is that even martial arts? Touch contact? NO head contact? Worst representation of martial arts I have ever seen.