bushido_man96

Gee, this is kind of tough. There are two approaches you could take: 1. Scout out the style. Look on the internet, check out books, and find out what the styles' strong and weak points are. Are they grappling or kicking. Are the fighters flat footed, or do they have lots of footwork? Lots of questions can go here. This research can be somewhat reliable. 2. Scout the fighter you are going to fight. Let's say his a karate-ka. From what I hear, lots of karate-ka have really good hands when compared to someone like myself, a TKD guy. However, this can't be reliable info, as he may be an excellent kicker. If you did not scout him, but did scout his style, you may not have been prepared. Now, if you are talking about just the average street incident, then it is best to be well versed in your stuff, and be confident that you know what you can do. A great fighter can make his opponent play his game, instead of adapting to his opponent's game.

In our school, we try to relate to our students when and where to practice their arts. We tell them to use their heads, and think about what they are doing. By bragging about the MA they practice, they may bring unwanted attention upon themselves. Also, practicing with people outside of the school without experience can lead to injuries, and unwanted scorn from the head instructor.

I would show up in street clothes, with the black belt, white belt, and gi in a gym bag, and then ask the instructor and go from their. He may want to introduce you to the class, letting everyone else know that you are of rank in a different style. He may ask that his students show you the respect deserving of a black belt/instructor, and also suggest that they be supportive in your pursuit to expand your horizons.

For a totally different aspect, you could look into working with a high school or college wrestling team. Not exactly ground fighting, to be sure, but it might prove interesting and beneficial.

I saw that episoed on FitTV. I enjoyed it. The weapons styles made me think of medieval European styles, while the hand and foot techniques had an Eastern air to them. Is this coincidence, or evidence of how similiar fighting styles of the world really are?

Sounds like the confrontation was short and sweet. Just watching the opponent is very valuable. It is a good thing that the movement he made was not into his pockets for a weapon.

There are a lot of people who try to do things like that. They claim they are high rank, and want to come to your sparring class or something. They want to boost their egos. Nothing is more rewarding than watching them get drilled. Years ago, at my old school, there was a black belt there that quit. A few years later, he asked if he could come back in one night a week to spar with the instructor and a few black belts. The instructor knew him, and said ok. However, he just tried to bang on people; he got his bell rung, and did not come back.

Jersey Devil made some good points about the other striking arts. Some things that they could offer may be beneficial in other ways. For example, an olympic style of TKD might help with your footwork. Or Boxing as well. But, the ground work of BJJ or judo may be what you are after.

This is along the same lines of the McDojo arguments. Handing out belts like this is folly, and degrades the value of the martial arts. Here is a simple solution: Don't charge money for testings/rank promotions. I know, it sounds crazy, but there is at least one other guy that believes in it. John Graden, the former owner of USA Karate, has a book out called Black Belt Management. He makes his point there. His idea is to sell the tuition, instead of testings. Howerver, he does have his ways of making money.

I am glad to hear that you are gaining confidence in yourself. That is one of MA's best attributes. I'll admit, I like to do some showy things sometimes, but I also find the simple stuff just as important, and rewarding, when performed correctly.

If you do this, you will eventually see branches from the organization again in the future, because of political rifts that will form. Egos will develop, people will become upset, and people will branch away. It always happens.

Nice, but when your students take the test for the black belt where do the take the test?? In your dojo by you, or at the federation?? see here when some1 want to test for the black belt, he tests for it in the federation, and the journey wont accept any forms but tuagek. What if you decided that you want to teach your students something else other that the tuagek form?? Or you didn't teach them the back hooking kick, simply becuse you think its a stupid kick. Your student will never take the black belt. I hope this was clear. if not take O and put A add some -ings, take some word n put smthn else. I think that these two points illustrate what happens in TKD. Once a person gets to a certain rank, and wants to do his own thing his own way, he decides to branch out on his own, and start his own school or organization. The person may keep his old forms, like ITF forms, that are not copyrighted, and adjust them a little. Others will create their own system and curriculum. I think that these branchings have both positive and negative effects on the martial arts in general. These opinions are probably better left to a different thread.

I would like to see him in the UFC. I think he would make some noise.

If there is a noticable leader that steps up, I would say take him out quick. Knock his lights out. Overwhelm him as quick as you can. If I could go back to school, I would want to go to detention a few times, I think.

The kihap thing does not bother me too much. When we yell, it is to emphasize a technique as it lands, more than anything. Some people will stomp the ground hard; if they do it consistently, I go for their head as they stomp the next time. Two things that I think can legitimately intimidate are speed and power.

You forgot one: Sit quietly, let the enemy walk by, and then attack when he is not looking!!!

Wasn't he a general during the Three Kingdoms era in China? Not sure what I would name my own art. Brian-kwon-do, maybe??? Maybe not.

I dunno about this one. That depends on what you're after. I know more about muay thai than my coach - my background was from a more traditional standpoint, where as his was purely competitive. However, because the time I spent learning tradition, he spent fighting, he is light years ahead of me, though I can hang with him. Even though we both fight, he was fighting way more because that was the sole motivation behind the gym he trained at. Since we both coach at the same school now, he will defer to me and another guy who had the same instructors as me on questions about tradition. I agree with you, elbows_and_knees. Knowing the history does not make a good instructor, it makes him a historian. I know a lot of details about a lot of styles and arts, but I can't teach them. I feel confident in my ability to instruct TKD, buy not in other styles. There are lots of historians out there that know about the history of war, both ancient and modern. However, that knowledge does not make them good warriors.

This is so right. There is a saying: "Those who can't do, teach."

The ATA does this. There are classes for each level (Corner, Center, Chief), and you must pass tests for each one, and you have to be a certain rank and age. When we score forms, there are three judges. One judge ONLY looks at kicks and stances. One judge ONLY looks at blocks and strikes, and the center judge looks at overall presentation, completeness, etc. Heh, it does make for some unusual scores on occasion. Competitor has excellent technique, and gets 9.8 and 9.7 from the side judges, and does an incomplete form, so the center judge gives them a 9.1. Same for sparring. One center judge, two corner judges. Any judge can call break, and when the center judge calls for scores, you indicate "No see", "No point", or 1 2 or 3 points and which competitor. Majority of judges must agree. So, if corner #1 sees 1 point for red, judgge #2 sees a point for white, and the center judge either didn't see it or calls no point, no point. 2 out of three must agree for it to be a point. We also balance it out. 1 point for kick or punch to the body. 2 points for kick to head or jump kick to body, 3 points for jump kick to head. Aodhan I am familiar with the ATA judging system. I was a 2nd degree in the ATA at one point, and a Level 1 judge. I like their system a lot, and feel that other styles should have a similar certification system like it.

The problem with that is that there are so many people that simply cannot develop such a mindset. I would drill them repeatedly, and also teach them how to "look" confident. Oftentimes, this is the best deterrent, as I think has been said here already. There are many times in the club where I have ended confrontations simply by approaching the combatants. I have been told that they didn't want me to mess them up, so they calmed down, and as a result, nobody had to leave the club. Last fall, ten people were getting ready to scrap by one of our bars. I was the only bouncer there that night, but instead of panicking, I jumped right in the middle of them. ALL 10 OF THEM STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. afterward, one of them asked me if I was crazy, cuz they all could've stomped me. I just smiled. confidence is a powerful thing. Criminals, bullies, etc all look for the same thing - an easy target. If you look like you will give them a fight, many will not bother you. Confidence can be taught to pretty much anyone. A killer's mindset cannot be. Those are both very good points, about confidence and "killer instinct." Some people advocate the use of "self-talk," where they will repeat a feeling, or reaction to something, over and over to themselves to try to get their mind into the set they want it. When the adrenaline flows, however, everything seems to change. Personnally, when my adrenaline runs, I don't like it. I don't like the feeling of the stress; I don't know why. I have a brother, however, who loves the stuff. He played football in high school and college. I asked him once about the hardest shot he ever took. He said it was a blind-side hit. He got slammed hard, and just bounced up and yelled for some more!! I personnally think his has a testosterone overload

I love Bruce Lee's work. In the Tao of JKD, there are a lot of ideas and strategies that are used from other styles, and some from his original. I think there are 5 aspects that are most popularly represented by JKD. A couple are the broken rhythym (?) and another has something to do with moving second, but striking first. Not sure, I must review. He mostly believed in non-stylized fighting principles, and most of his moves were simple and straigtforward. As far as ineffective??? No. It is effective. I do believe it is more of a philosophy of how to use the appropriate techniqes in the appropriate situation. From what I understand, Bruce did not want to name is art in the first place. By naming it, he claimed it established boundaries, which is not what he believed in. I think one of his close friends convinced him otherwise for marketing purposes.

In the ring, with rules, screw that. On the street, if I had to, I would kick his knees, gouge his eyes, or go for his throat. No way am I going to dance with a guy like that.

That is a good question. I have very little submission experience. Don't think I would even try. If you go to the ground, most like someone else is going to bail out their buddy. Maybe aikido would be good for multiples? The redirections maybe? Don't know, correct me if I have seen too many Segal movies.

I just watched a Pride Fighting program on FSN earlier this evening. Bob Sapp beat the snot out of some poor sap (no pun intended). How would you fight this guy? He took leg kicks, and walked through them. He took face punches, and smirked at the guy. Would you try to take him down? The other thing is this; he really doesn't seem to have a lot of formal training. In the K-1 matches I have seen, he just slugs away. He was listed at 6'5", 375, but I have heard 6'8", and 385. Just want to know what your opinions are.