bushido_man96

When life hands you a lemon, make some lemonade, right? Keep up the hard work, and I'll keep you in my prayers.

I really don't do either. Just some regular stretching routine when I get the chance. I don't sunbathe on purpose, either, although my skin does bronze up quite nicely when the summer rolls around from being outside, fishing and the like. I always end up with a really nice famers tan.

Congrats!

The problem I see is how a minimal amount of ground fighting experience can nullify years of training in stand-up. That was one of the things that was demonstrated in the early UFC's, and it still holds true. Sure, stand-up styles can train to defend wrestling-style takedowns, but it isn't enough. Wrestlers train daily in practice to takedown other wrestlers, people who know how to do takedowns, and know how to defend takedowns. And if the can hit a successful takedown against a takedown and takedown-defense specialist, then a stand-up practitioner who works on take-down defense once a week isn't likely going to be able to avoid getting taken down. A ground fighter will eat a few stand-up techniques to get the person to the ground, too. I've done some research on this, and over the course of the years of various challenge matches between strictly stand-up and grappling styles, the stand-up stylists haven't fared to well. I wrote an article on the topic some time ago, if you've got some free time to check it out: MMA: The Marriage of Martial Arts

Yin and Yang, if you by into the idea behind that philosophy, is everywhere. Hard and soft, light and dark, etc. It sounds like you are experiencing similar in training these two styles. My advice would be to continue to train both for as long as you can. Will it be a challenge? Certainly. But we don't do these things because they are easy. Will you have to focus more each class on what you are doing? Probably, for some time, until you get used to doing it. But what will happen is that as you spend more and more time training in each, you will see how they start to come together in what you do. You will learn how to do strong, rigid punching and striking along with melding and blending and absorbing attacks using Aiki defenses. And it will be beautiful. It just takes time. Here's another, less intrinsic reason to continue training in both: you may not get the chance to later on down the line. Life happens, and where once one had an abundance of training time available to oneself, one then finds that his time is taken up by other responsibilities; work, family, school, etc. So, take this opportunity to be selfish and do this for yourself.

I think that sounds kind of crazy if you ask me. Many of us practice the Martial Arts as something we enjoy doing with what little time we have left over from out busy weeks. There are people out there that do train 6 days a week. Most of them I refer to as professionals. I think being pushed in a grading is a good thing. However, as an instructor, its my job to know how far I can push a student, and to do so without driving them over the edge. I have to realize that when my students leave my school, they have lives and other matters to attend to, so they shouldn't be sore for a week after a grading.

Some people are lucky and have good genetics, and tend to be athletic no matter what. Some of us don't. Personally, I think one should strive for both. One can be healthy but not strong, and likewise one can be strong but not healthy. I think there is also a misconception about what healthy is. Some people think 6-pack abs and being able to run a mile-and-a-half in a certain time is the only kind of healthy. They aren't all the same, so a balance has to be struck.

Great weekend training idea, for sure!The best thing you can do is make a list of the places that are available, and start making visits to the dojo's during class times. Instructors should allow you to watch a class. If they don't, I'd scratch them off the list, but that's just me. And don't just watch one class. Go to a few of the classes, to see if they differ from one to the next. Last of all, ask the CI questions, especially those geared towards the kind of training you are looking for. This is the best way to get pointed in the right direction.

If you're talking strictly Boxers vs. strictly Grapplers, I'm not so sure. Early UFCs proved that out. The boxers have to get some ground experience, and vise versa. It kind of makes me think of this whole Connor MacGregor vs Floyd Mayweather conversation. Put Floyd in the MMA ring with MacGregor, and he's probably going to get owned, and be ugly, if he doesn't have much grappling experience. Put Connor in a boxing ring with Money, and it will be ugly the other way. Floyd would dance like its prom night, and Connor would be lucky to land one square shot I think. Moving forward, its got to come down to cross-training.

Welcome aboard!

I think I prefer that the white belt is not earned, other than getting it with the uniform. I like to think that there are thousands of white belts out there walking around, and I'm just waiting for them come in and get to training.

Sounds like you're doing great, Bob. If you put on weight with muscle, I wouldn't worry too much about that. Body composition is going to be your main focus, and adding muscle mass can help you to actually burn more calories.

That's excellent! She really nailed it! Congrats to her!

Many years ago, Boxing including various throws and grappling maneuvers. As the gloves came along, that went away. I imagine there are quite a few MMA competitors out there that would pass as proficient in both areas now.

The longest lingering injury I had was a pulled hamstring muscle. Near as I could tell, it was pulled in the base leg from doing reverse/spin side kicks. It took what felt like a year to get better. But, I was able to train with it. I had a shoulder impingement worked on a while back, and that took me out for several months. That really sucked. I still can't do bench presses because of it, and my shoulder acts more like a barometer now.

I like the post. That sounds like what I've signed up for. I can also understand the frustration. The thing is, for most people, MA is an extracurricular activity, and if their schedule becomes tight, it tends to be on the cut list. It sucks, but really, there are not that many of those truly dedicated students running around out there to really fill up the classes and keep them full.

Yep I would have to agree with you. My knee's pop from time to time but they are not grinding yet. I have heard of this but, knock on wood, not first hand. I feel for you. Can you still train or are you past the point of training? If you are it's definitely not the end of your carrier. I was down for a month and couldn't do much of anything for 6. I still was able to teach class those last five months albeit without showing takedown or kicking techniques. I incorporated one of my Yudansha students to help in that department. I always have heard that once your body goes it's pretty much over but I see it differently. Your body might have gone but you still have a treasure trove of knowledge to pass on. I guess the moral of the story is life does not end after you loose the ability to do something. You can still teach and from my experience, quite effectively. I can still train, other commitments have kept me from very much of that for the time being, though. I'll be getting back to it soon, but it will be slow going, and I'll be a shadow of what I was for a time. The main thing will be losing some weight. If I can get back to training and cut some of the weight, then I think that will help the knees some. Either way, I have to do something. It may mean more punching and less kicking, and it will definitely mean less bouncing around in sparring. I'll have to be the tank in sparring, who sits there, holds ground, blocks well, and gets in quality shots when the others get close.

Yeah, just to keep from getting stagnant. I like a variety to working out, myself. About how long does this workout take you?

4/17/2017 Defensive Tactics Club: 1:30 - 3:00 pm. Went through the itinerary for the LEO DT course for the next two days. 4/18/2017 LEO DT Training Seminar, Day 1: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm. We broke this day into a morning and afternoon session, and it was done in the mat room in comfortable training attire. Morning session consisted of first talking about rules for training, LEO mindset, and goals for the seminar, which consisted of training a series of techniques in a safe training environment and then taking them outside in a more natural environment and performing the techniques in full duty gear and vests. Morning session: weapon retention in the holster, stand-up defenses against chokes, side chokes unsupported and supported against a wall. Afternoon session: Ground defense; recovering from full mount, reversing position, weapon retention in the holster when mounted, and disengaging to have the option to get to your feet and apply department SOP; recovering from full-guard, recovering full-guard from side-control, disengaging and going to SOP. This was a good day of training, and we had a really good crew of trainees that took their DT seriously. 4/19/2017 LEO DT Training Seminar, Day 2: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm. Training moved from the fluffy mat room to the indoor practice facility, where we trained on a turf practice field in full gear: duty belt, vest, boots, BDUs, etc. The goal of the training seminar was to provide some proven, reliable techniques to the trainees, and then prove to them that they could be performed in full gear, but to show them how much different it feels when it comes to that. We started off the morning by reviewing all the techniques from the day before, and then finished it off with a "testing" of sorts. We explained the nature of doing the techniques at what we call "level 2," which is applying the techniques with a level of resistance. We circled everyone up, and they started going through the techniques, and when we saw everyone finishing with an acceptable level of proficiency, we moved on to the next technique. The trainees all did very well, and it was a great two days of training.

Looks like you'll get a good workout in, for sure. Is this an everyday thing, or a few times a week thing? Have you thought of doing the workouts with a different focus on each? Forms for one, sparring drills for others?

Well, I will say this. For those of their practitioners that are wanting to do the more athletic type of competition, they are providing those outlets for them. I think this is a good thing, so long as it doesn't take over focus on the other aspects.

Never had a broken wrist or broken one, not yet anyways. I'm sure when the adrenaline is coursing through the veins, it would be quite easy to break another's wrist with two hands, given the technique is applied properly.

Sounds like you're putting in a ton of work, Alex. Best of luck! We'll be pulling for you!

No, Bob, that doesn't mean that one isn't elite. There are different thoughts there. If I think of an elite athlete, I think of the great pros out there that get paid to play every day.But those are the players. There are other versions of elite, as well, like the coaches. There are a lot of coaches out there that weren't championship caliber players, but they have a different ability, to teach/coach, so where they aren't elite physically, they are elite in other avenues of the profession.

I agree. Kind of a within, without approach to training, I guess. Pushing yourself is important, but at times, someone else can push you harder than you allow yourself to push yourself (if that makes any sense).