straightblast

Machida has used foot sweeps and trips in MMA quite a lot.

In the early MMA day's, they were bare knuckle and broke hands all the time.

No, but I will be at the Golden Gate internationals.

I think you guys are concentrating to much on the "myth of the duel" real encounters happen fast, no time to dance around, or we talking sporting event?

Still if the opponent evades the hook or uppercut your fist will occupy the space where his head used to be. I think this is where combo's come into play. He may evade punch 1,2 but its 3,4,5 that he wont see.

Depends on the style, the most efficient and effective punch technique in JKD is the straight lead. There are more types of jabs in boxing than the snappy one most of us see on TV. I could effectivly do a flying side kick on a stunned mugger off the curb and into on comming car.

I say Yes but what they think my target is and what it really is, might be different

Bringing the hand to the ear before a hard block, (in my opinion) is a wrist grab release wile the other hand punches. If it is in fact a parry, then it should be trained as a parry, like boxers do. If my wrist is grabbed in eskrime this technique will release the grab with a stike counter, Karate Kata works well with weapons. BTW the downward block would be a knee strike in eskrima or another weapon. Regards

They don't start with a block, you look, you stack/chamber, turn left ,Wich can be a lot of things based on bunkai. The down block is not a block, it's a strike or throw.

I think what the author is pointing out is correct, look how your moving within a kata from on stance to another (example: left front stance to right front stance) you’re not on the balls of your feet moving as in a fight you deliver the technique into the stance. I find this very true when I started analyzing MMA, They are in constant motion but when they strike I can totally see zenkutsu dachi for that moment in time. So he’s saying the stance is the platform your landing your techniques in not how your launching your techniques.

Without any discernible facts then how can it be inferred that these guys were thugs and Gracie was a victim?

The Tweets would be used against him in a court room . Based on what he tweeted, There was no mugging or attempted mugging at all but you call them muggers based on what fact?. Thinking these guys are muggers is not fact. I could say in court that I was a little drunk and walking down X Street and asked a guy for a smoke and he attacked me, choked me out 3 times and beat me when i was out.

Based on the tweet, The facts are that regardless of their motive, which we do not know, these guys committed no crime. Asking for a cigarette is not a crime; they were attacked by Gracie multiple times. He is the one who committed the crime.

Makes me wonder what you can learn about your karate bunkai if you dig into Kung Fu forms unless that is to lost also.

I thought I was cool when i was a kid swinging mine around, until later an instructor of mine showed me a kata and striking techniues, it was all practical and not flashy. Did not have the cool look but the application was real. Good for hand eye coordination and a fun workout , they can be useful in combat but outlawed in CA and not practical to carry.

A solid base would be a good understanding of the basics,stances,footwork,striking and defending, something which is an individual thing and not necessarily a rank thing. Time Spent with hard contact sparring. The advantage about MMA is that karate guy can work his techniques into the dynamics of it all, kinda like a laboratory and figure out how to make them work. I do not think the ground work would totally be nullified , lots of the karate holds, joint locks, arm bars and wrist locks , blocks, punches work on the ground, you have to learn to make them work. This is strictly speaking someone with a karate background VS someone with no background. Regards

You can stop it by a stronger force, evade the force, redirect the force, change levels from the path of the force but once the force connects it will be to late.

Bas Rutten is known for his liver shot ( slap ) and has used it quite well in the ring. Regards

Where did the three K's originate? It surely had to be from a master of a certain "style" of karate not a blanket statement for all styles. If Kata is required in your style then you need to learn it but it is not required in ALL styles, not doing kata does not take away from karate. Saying kata is karate, my only be true to your style and saying without kata there is no karate is in my opinion putting down other styles which goes against the "DO" in karate.

MMA is a combat sport, Judo is a combat sport, boxing is a combat sport, Fencing is a combat sport. Are they useful as self defense? YES! Each of these sports if used with correct tatics will work on the street.

If 2 guys join a MMA gym and one has no prior training at all and the other a solid base in a good karate school, then after 6 months of recieving the same MMA training the Karate guy should have the advantage. This of course based on the Karate school.

I agree however when you are talking about useing the technique to hurt someone, I believe you also mentally need the " intent ". Not having your mind in it or the intent to devisate someone can cause you to fall short of that extra umph. The pool idea is good, also you might want to try a slow to moderated flowing river or stream. Regards

I do a 45, however I would be considered wrong in my old karate class.

When I do the shotokan round kick the mechanics are the same forKicking with instep or ball is just a matter of pointing the toes back or forward. I perfer the ball because I can really pull my toes back plus I have hurt my foot by kicking with the instep. When I do a shin kick, I pre load my front foot by turning it left 90 degrees then swing the hip and let the leg follow, more like a MT kick. Regards

I would prefer to use English because that is what we use in the USA. I think it was more political as when Karate was introduced to Japan. Why didn't the Japanese use the Ryukyu dialect of the time when they train and why was it changed from china hand to empty hand? I believe that from china to Okinawa to Japan, each nation used there own language, so why shouldn't we? but like it was said above, you might want to know a little if you ever study with or attend a seminar with a foreign master.