bushido_man96

Just half? Slacker.... just kidding! .....this is starting to become a habit, tallgeese.....

Same thing, but with a 30 min freeroll added. Even with the same soundtrack, GroinStrike? MasterPain: how did you get those soundtracks, praytell? I love the old Nintendo stuff... 5/19/2011 TKD class: 6:00 - 6:45...smaller class today, really buzzed through basics, then light stretch, forms, one-steps, then two crappy rounds of sparring. I was so dead tired when it came time to spar, and I really just couldn't do much. I have to get something going in that department. Then lifted after class... SL 5x5A Squats: warmup weight: 45x5x2, 70x3, 90x2; work weight: 165x5x5 Bench press: warmup weight: 45x5x2, 95x3, 115x2; work weight: 140x5x5 Barbell rows: warmup weight: 65x4, 2; work weight: 80x5x5 Squats are getting tougher, but I can still finish the sets. Hip flexors are sore, too. I like the new bench press technique, and I love the barbell rows, too. Really enjoying this StrongLifts system so far. Evening stretch: squat to stands, seated straddle stretch reaching middle, left and right, butterfly and glutes, hip flexors. My left side is noticibly tighter than my right side.

There are several styles out there where you learn good contact levels, good muscle memory, and learn to push through when your body tells you to quit. Styles like Muay Thai, MMA, Kyokushin...lots of these practitioners become good, tough fighters. They also train smart, and know that blasting someone's mouth into pieces on the first day probably isn't the best training idea out there. But through time and training they become tougher, more confident, and are able to maintain their training throughout the years because they have good training methods. Many of them also train bag work along side their other drills, and it serves their purposes very well.

I understand what JusticeZero is saying about the self-defense aspects here, and they do make sense. I also agree with TG and MP that at times, it may be necessary to know how to do it. I don't like "closing the gap" in sparring, mainly because I'm not exceptionally quick. It also becomes a big telegraph for me. I like to instead use some footwork, just gradually moving closer to them, and see what they throw along the way. If I get close enough before they throw anything, then I'll start my attacks. I think we see the "close the gap" concept more in competition settings, and that's how I view the concept for the most part.

This is good stuff. What's important to note her is that just having a gun isn't the goal; being versed in deployment is. Just because you can't use the gun right away, doesn't mean it isn't the option you shouldn't train to get to. Onwards and upwards. Considering the differences we are discussing here between "ranges" and "phases", the use of a "range" requires parameters of distance to be set, thus limiting your thought processes, which wouldn't be good. If you adhere to a "punching range," then when you feel you are in that range, then the punches are your only option until movement to kicking range, or closing to grappling range, or vise versa. However, I notice that most of my low round kicks I can throw from inside my punching range. So a kick lies inside my punching range. I've also seen good kickers be able to throw an inside crescent kick at head level standing within punching "range" or the clinch "range." Seeing things in this manner, I do think the idea of "phases" fits a better model for analyzing what happens when and where in a fight.

I believe Tony Blauer's training systems are based off honing these natural instincts, isn't it? I remember reading a bit about it, and you're right; it just makes sense to work on honing these ideas instead of training them out of us.

Thank you, ps1.

Cool, thanks for the info. I did see a few of them for the push-ups and sit-ups, and I think squats. They were free, too, which is a bonus.

Yeah, its just semantics, really. He did technically jump, although not very high. So, you could call it jumping, or just skipping. Pretty much the same kick.

Ah, ok. That helps a bit more. I had never hears Master Thor talk about teaching in such a way, and our school never did that. We always broke up into rank groups and worked on the forms for our belt, and the instructors would make the rounds to help and teach. I kind of like the way this sounds. In my opinion, you can never work too much on the sparring aspect, and two months is more than enough time to dedicate to forms, since there aren't any applications to learn. And the extra two months gives more time to straighten out all the technical aspects of the forms as well.

I agree; not many of us like to be hit. Along with upping the intensity as time goes by comes the knowledge and experience for the student to learn how to recognize and intelligently defend the attacks that begin coming in harder. It is a process, and throwing students to the wolves won't yield very good sized classes, and fewer training partners.

I hadn't really thought about it this way, but you are right. We practice some brush/trap/strike in Combat Hapkido, and do a similar block/pass/pin with our DT work, and it always starts with a block that allows for a different follow-up.

Sounds like a good book. Reading your explanation here, I'd have to say I agree with Renzo's ideas of phases instead of ranges; the reasoning behind the explanations just makes sense, and its obvious that striking and kicking aren't necessarily limited to the "ranges," like you mention above with your examples. These phases make more sense and actually do a better job of defining the possibilities in combat.

Thank you, sperki and Alex.

Ok, still confused. By block systems, you mean the two month testing cycles they did? Do you have a different testing cycle now?

I think the reason Posada isn't catching anymore is because his legs probably can't take it much anymore. Either that, or management is being proactive about getting younger guys in there to replace some of the older guys still around. Let's face it, Posada, Jeter, and Rivera are all getting up there in age, and their time with the Yankees is probably more limited now than one might expect.

Good call...thanks Brian...you saved me!! Gentlemen...start your engines!! This made me smile. Sweet. I got to help two people in one post.

Sorry, I just saw this, but tell her congrats! That's a great deal.

Getting off the line is important not only for weapons defense, but also for weaponless defenses. One of the things our one-steps do teach is getting off to an angle for defense. We try to do that in Combat Hapkido as well. I try to do this in sparring as well, since I am a shorter person and I can't win the length battles with taller people if I fight them "straight up." Part of getting off the line is related to your surroundings, too. Therefore, it is good to be able to defend when you can't get off line, too. But, if you are going straight in, then you have to be moving the attacker's weapons off the line.

Hehe, I got over being a runner a LOOOONG time ago. 5/17/2011 SL 5x5B Squats: warmups: 45x5x2, 95x3, 115x2; work weight: 160x5x5 Overhead press: warmups: 45x5x2; work weight: 55x5x5 Dead lift: warmups: 75x5, 3; work weight: 105x5 The squats felt heavier today, but I'm hoping it was just the time off, and Thursday goes a bit better. Still finished all the sets. The only problem I've noticed is I am squatting more than dead lifting, because of how I started the program. Oh well, it'll get there. Stretch: bar stretches for hams and quads, stretched hip flexors on the floor. Hip flexors were screaming at me today. Edit: forgot to mention that I checked my BMI and body fat last week. Kind of bad, though: body fat at 31.7%, body mass index at 38.6.

Thanks, I'll do some checking. How do I know which ones are the right ones, though?

I agree. He is still a phenomenal Martial Artist and athlete, and I'm certain he could still compete at some lower levels with great success. Maybe we'll all get lucky and he'll do some more movies, and let his career go that route. But, if he chooses to keep fighting, then more power to him.

I've dabbled with this beer mug down method on the bag. After I strike, I had to leave it there a few times to make sure I was getting my hand turned over. It was different, that's for sure, and I'll keep playing with it and see how I like it.

Every time I hear non-contact I imagine a BJJ class run that way. Picture someone doing the BJJ wormy dog butt-scootin boogie and butterfly sweep while someone across the room practices holding base. What's next? No touch armbars through chi projection? By the Holiness of Gene Lebell's Pink Gi I hope to never see the day. Thats a good way to look at it. I think some contact is mandatory in sparring. We don't have to be taking knockout blows, but knowing how it feels to get hit is good for when it happens for real.

That's good news. Keep up the good work and keep us posted on your improvements.