bushido_man96

Well, all tourneys are learning experiences. If she came away with something new, then she did ok. I don't know if I could say congrats, but she should feel good about her experience.

ps1 is right about the stances being transitional, I think. Tallgeese is also on point, using a singular stance to be ready in, and then you use your transitions from there.

The spear hand can be a good weapon, but I wouldn't concern myself 6 years of conditioning to use it. I would use it to the eyes, but otherwise, I would choose a different tool for other targets. The spear hand does have different forms; the two-finger spear, usually to the eyes, or the spread finger spear, in which you can rake afterwards.

I have never been one much for weapons katas. I would much rather see how the two-person drills work. I would be more intested in the applications of the movements. The kata looks nice, though.

All of these questions would be best answered by taking them directly to a school and asking an instructor. Even different schools of the same style will have different ideals. Check with them; they will give the best answers for them.

ps1 is right. Accidents like this will happen. If he gets upset, then so be it. Listen to him rant, and then be done with the matter. We are all human. I am sure he has lost some things along the way as well.

Right, I had read about the Koma references. Basically, it was Judo curriculum, but a different focus.

Does he have a bit of califlouer ear? I have heard that the Gracies are really laid back and informal about their training. I think a seminar would be great.

I think that I would rather learn how to incapacitate someone with a blunt weapon, and then tie them up. I think that would be a bit easier.

I think some people have it, and some don't as much. It may be trainable, but I think it mostly comes from awareness training.

If you don't want to bleed, don't get into a fight. If you have to defend yourself, these are things that may have to happen. The best thing to do, if this kind of thing worries you, is to go to the doctor as soon as you can afterwards, and get shots or a checkup. Things like this will be hard to avoid, but if you want to defend yourself, you have to do what you have to do.

Dividing your time to get good at these positions is the only way to do it. However, it would be most advisable to be able to do drills that start from one position and transition you to another, where you can apply the various techniques and strategies. What it comes down to is a fighters skill, in the end. If you get beat, it was because the fighter was better, or better that day, anyhow. The early UFCs showed that you can be a master striker, but you can be taken down and submitted by a mediocre grappler, just because you aren't familiar with that range of combat.

Round robins are great. We did that when I Wrestled in middle school. Kicked my butt everytime.

When we had a ground fighting defense seminar put on by the KLETC, the instructor did focus a bit on escaping and getting away, as opposed to staying on the ground and grappling with the person. When you have all the tools that you do on your duty belt, it is important to be able to make space and get to your tools. Very good point.

I agree. Knee kicks are also very valuable tools, and often overlooked.

It isn't the weapon so much as it is the system. I have read several guides to Medieval Combat, and the system is what allows the transfer from weapon to weapon, as opposed to the weapon itself. The quarterstaff can be a good place to start, because it is cheaper and easier to get than a good sword is.

Why not contain all, then?

No, BJJ should have all of the takedowns that Judo has. You just have to spend more time on them.

That is a great idea. If you have those resources available to you, why not use them?

I think that football players would have the advantage. They are strong, and are used to contact, and most of them are very fast, even the big guys. Many of the lineman understand the use of leverage and body mechanics when it comes to moving men just as big as they are out of the way. Even though they may not have the aerobic conditioning that soccer and basketball players have, they have the explosiveness that is required in the short-length of fighting conditions. Many of them also have good cardiovascular endurance, anyways.

Ah, yes. Kind of like golfing with the boss, eh? However, I think this is done more in team building, and not employee/employer setups.

Our DT guy from the academy has a saying: "you'll do what you've done, not what you'll think you'll do." With that in mind, take what you have done, and get rep-happy with it. Also, make sure you can apply it from various scenarios. This where you find the true usefulness of a technique. As far as a base style goes, I think it really just depends on what you like and what you gravitate towards. I am not a Wrestler, so I don't gravitate to it. Therefore, I do striking more. Now, I do want to get into some grappling, because I now feel more confident in my ability to pick up on the concepts. Has striking helped that? Maybe, but I can't be sure. I just know that I don't naturally gravitate toward ground fighting.

Escalating to weaponry would be the best bet in a group. It would difficult and naive to assume that you could just punch that many people in the throat and dispatch them and move on.

How do you accomplish this, tallgeese? Would you use self-talk, or say things to pump yourself up or get yourself geared and focused? That is how I could see it, but wanted your opinion on it as well. Thanks.

That's a great post, tallgeese. You hit all the right spots there. I would like to know what the "preparation" is for this kind of sparring you mention, JohnLogic. I think that this preparation should involve sparring, like tallgeese mentions early on. If not, then there is no way I want to step in and spar someone who has no idea of distancing and control, which is very different in a dynamic environment, like fighting.