Pacificshore

howdy

Howdy

KM1: Well both styles will give you what you want in terms of joint locks and throws. Aiki-jujitsu or Judo may be others that you may want to checkout as well.

Welcome Aboard

Welcome Aboard

For this particular style of Kenpo, I would say yes in regards to the fast and flowing hand strikes. American Kenpo, also known as Parker Kenpo, incorporates many hand strikes in their self defense techniques. They also incorporate kicks which are generally kept low.

NOW BACK TO TRAINING!!!

Remy Presas, the Grandmaster of Modern Arnis, now deceased has a book out titled "Modern Arnis". It a pretty good book. I believe you can find it in many of the big name bookstores or martial arts magazine. Also there are books out by Mark Wiley who writes about the Filipino Martial Arts, as well as Cabales Serrada Eskrima. His books are published by Tuttle Co. As far as videos go, I've seen the ones put out by Blackbelt magazine featuring Presas, but was not impressed by them. It seemed rushed, or poorly written and performed for instructional purposes. One video that I thought was good was the one featuring Edgar Sulite, put out by Unique publications. You'll find it in the Inside Kung-Fu magazines. Of course these are two different systems of stick fighting, but both have things to offer.

ak74auto: I see where your train of thought went!!! If you look at kata as a series of offensive/defensive moves, or vice versa then the same principle would apply to wrestling. The difference is that in wrestling your usually working with a partner on each series of moves, and when practicing kata, it is usually done by yourself. It is not until you start to learn the "bunkai" or meaning of the moves within a kata that you may work with a uki(partner) in order to understand what each move signifies in regards to a defensive or offensive move. Even after you understand the "bunkai" you would still work on the kata by yourself. Many folks have their beliefs in the value or non-value of kata training, and that okay. In my opinion, I happen to believe kata training teachs many things. For example: focus, balance, speed, power, peaceful calm mind, and the list can go on forever. However, do I believe that kata training is practical for fighting purposes or learning how to fight, not necessarily. There are so many factors to consider when it comes down to hitting a moving target, or one that hits back. Same would apply to all the self defense techniques that one can learn, or the number of wrestling moves one person can make on another. Once you add all those unknown elements and such then things begin to change and drastically at that. I hope I'm not too off target with your post, but I do see where your thoughts on this matter was going. Hopefully this is of some use to you.

howdy

howdy

Hi Mike: I've dabbled in Serrada escrima with a buddy of mine who is very proficient in that form of stick fighting. Essentially, the length of the stick is anywhere from 21 to 24 inches, making it an in-close form of escrima. Like many of the different styles of escrima, it has the 12 angles of attacks, and then it has a number of counters, disarms, etc. If you are looking for some sticks, try to find some that are "fire hardened" and with the skin and notches in them. They tend to last longer, but as we all know if you use them constantly and bang 'em around good, they'll eventually wear out. Depending on the form of escrima your learning will depend on the length of the stick or the thickness of it's diameter. Some forms of escrima, also known as Arnis or Kali use a longer stick or thicker stick. Good luck in your training!

I see you practice a nice traditional style. If the tournaments that you enter are traditional in nature, then you will definitely need to consult with your instructor. Most if not all traditional tourneys have specific types of sparring equipment allowed. For example, cotton or sometimes vinyl hand/knuckle pads and no feet pads, head, chest pads. In open tournaments, you can virtually wear most sparring equipment out there in the open market. So be aware of the 2 different types of tourneys you enter because you may have to have 2 different sets of sparring gear. Oh, and for a groin cup/atheletic supporter, make sure that you get one that is a tuck under groin cup, and not a straight baseball type.

Welcome Aboard!

Hello and Welcome

How about taking some masking tape and taping a star pattern down on the floor, stand in the middle of the star and then move your feet and body in the different directions that is present while executing blocks and strikes at the same time. This will help in your footwork, timing, distance, and angles of attack or retreat.

Welcome Aboard!

Welcome Aboard! There is plenty more to learn in the martial arts. Learning to fight is just one aspect of it, and a small one at that.

Did the raiders get schooled or what

Continue working on your own combinations, timing, and angles of attack. The more you practice then the better you'll become. Don't get frustrated, and look at every sparring session as a learning experience and nothing else. Win, lose, or draw, there is always something to be learned.

Anytime NidanWarrior

Chh, I see you decided on the Satori Gi Nothing beats a custom made gi Not bad prices either, I paid $130.00 for mine which is alot cheaper than many of the Japanese brand gis So far mine has held up well during training and multiple washes Perhaps the best $$ I've spent on a uniform thus far

Never was a Raiders fan. Gooooo BUCS!!!

Sounds like some pretty good advice. Your martial arts training is about what you want out of it versus what someone else wants you to get out of it. Define what it is for your BF unless you know what it is, and let him know again what it is for you personally. As far as the contract thing goes, I'm sure your relationship is strong enough to withstand a "money thing" between the two of you. One last thing, as long as you both continue to train, nothing says that has to stop because you both train at different dojos. The great thing about martial arts training, is the exchanging of ideas, techniques, concepts, philosophy, etc. Stay strong and make the best decision for yourself in this matter.

howdy and welcome