NightOwl

???? I mentioned that I thought it might be because he wanted to stick with running a gym and teaching. Although he is extremely talented in jiu-jitsu, even he would have to change his lifestyle in order to train up to the level required for a bout in the major leagues. Mind, he wouldn't need to train too much more on ground fighting...

the other fighter I don't believe is- it is a sanshou tourney so you don't have to practice taichi to enter.

Shaolin kung fu usually is a take on contemporary wushu. It is more for looks than fighting, however it is very dynamic and would help you get both in better shape and be more flexible (if that is what you are looking for). For a martial art for fighting, I usually wouldn't recommend Taijiquan. Not that it can't be trained well - http://www.oxfordwudang.com/lotus_sweep.0.html http://www.oxfordwudang.com/brush_knee.0.html However despite that some do train with resistance and application, and that it was hardly an 'internal' style when it first was made, there are so many bad instructors who just teach it for exercise (which doesn't give you that much exercise anyways) and/or just the forms that to find a good taijiquan gym is extremely rare indeed. Mantis styles are a bit better in this regard, however you still have to be very careful. CMAs have gone over a century of hardship and oppression, and many poorly trained students led to many poorly trained teachers who know the forms and some very basic SD drills, but can't apply well what they have learned in an 'alive' setting. Check out all of the schools, and let us know how it goes.

It really isn't for everybody. Not every good fighter goes into MMA- he trains and spars enough to know that he can effectively apply his martial art, and he is happy with that as it is. This isn't the same as some sensei who never spars but says that they don't need to go into MMA because 'they are too deadly' or 'don't need to prove anything', that's someone who truly hasn't tested their techniques. However, most fighters don't go into the UFC (it is very hard to get in and the pay isn't that great, even for top fighters), and for them it is enough to know that they can fight in a realistic situation, but that they don't want to give over their life to be a pro MMA fighter. It is a huge commitment to train up to that level, and it overrides any other part of your life. While I can't speak directly for Bravo, I would assume that he likes teaching and running his own gym as opposed to giving all that up for the UFC or similar organization.

My primary art is, and always will be Wado ryu karate, but when I get the time I train in Daitoryu aiki-jujutsu. I understand what you are saying though about Daito dojos outside of Japan not being exactly "the real deal", as there seems to be a lot of "study groups" that have cropped up. As you say perhaps they have attended a course, paid their money and got the certificate. I have been lucky, as the club I belong to is part of Okabayashi Shoguns Hakuho-kai, and the instructors of the club are direct students of his. I also play around with a bit of Itto ryu kenjutsu and have even dabbled in Batto-Jutsu (Iai-Jutsu) thoroughly love it, but wish there was more time to learn more. ahh well!! Yeah, Hapkido has a similar problem as well I've heard. You can find study groups, but it's hard to actually find the style in of itself.

The guy did this (I think Jimmy) first try on fight quest. Like many breaks, it's more of a mind over matter thing I think.

Throws are very much attacks in of themselves. Culled from another website with people better at the internet then I: http://www.dailymotion.com/country:ca/video/x4hurc_cory-devela-vs-joe-riggs1_sport

There are times when I appreciate realistic fighting, and other times that I love to see the acrobatic stunt work and skillful choreography going into a lot of movie fights. Personally I think a mix of far out moves yet with a little bit of realism (just enough to make you THINK someone might be able to pull everything off ) is the best. It's best to take it on a movie by movie basis. One thing I don't like though: wirework

There's another offshoot school called enshin or something close to that- kyokushin is one of the less organized versions of karate.

Lived in a quake zone for most of my life- then moved to one of the WORST areas for earthquakes. Oh- and dormant volcanoes...You could see the steam coming off Mt. St Helens a couple or so years ago on a regular basis (it had a huge eruption before my time completely demolishing the top of the mountain). Tsunamis are a threat too. Maybe I should move to someplace where nothing bad happens like Canada.

Sort of, however it puts a lot of emphasis on always going full contact/ more or less non point sparring. also no padding....however the target areas are the same

yep! one of my favorite throws and one of the basics. It translates well into wrestling and MMA also.

Might as well post in my own topic... I currently train Judo (although am on temporary hiatus), and have been working on that. There are fortunately/unfortunately many styles that I have interest in: Bajiquan: Although I have a strong interest in kung fu history, there aren't too many styles that I have an interest in. However, more and more I have developed an interest in this style with its shoulder checking and elbow strikes. Not a horse stance fan though... BJJ: Time and school have kept me from being able to do anything other then learn how NOT to act when someone has you in full mount (hint: don't lift your arms up). However since my school load is a lot lighter and I'm looking for an art to train in with my girlfriend, I am hoping to maybe train this with judo as a complimentary art. Hapkido: I've been getting more and more involved in Korean culture as of late, and while I've divorced taekwondo, I would have an interest in a full contact hapkido school (like one involved in pro hapkido). Kyokushin Karate: One of the hardest karate styles out there, I love the training philosophy that they have. Meifu Shinkage-ryū: This one is just for fun. Its a very rare style found only in japan that focuses solely on shiruken. Since I can't do contact sports at the moment and classes are on Saturday mornings, I might do it...if anything it will help my dart game. Daito ryu akijujitsu: This is a classical jujutsu school that I wouldn't really train outside of japan (and I don't have time to do that and Judo plus maybe BJJ so I don't see training it anytime soon). The reason being that 'akijujitsu' is actually quite hard to find, despite a lot of schools that claim to teach it. A lot of instructors take a seminar or even just throw the name in and call themselves experts on it, however outside of daito ryu you aren't going to find the real deal. I would hope however, to find like minded students for resistance training for this one.

If they grab your wrist, you can always go for an old fashioned Seoinage. Here is a 'drop ippon' variation of the throw. You can see it used after the grab: Here is a demonstration of an ippon used in a compliant setting for learning purposes:

Originally it was, but people started loosing teeth, breaking hands, and getting really hurt because using gloves was seen as 'too unrealistic' (which I think is a bit...insane). Some schools do allow it though, and the transitioning from punching to the chest to the head isn't too hard to do. I don't know if head contact is a recent trend or not though. Kicks are allowed to the head however, so it is always good to keep a fairly high guard.

Unfortunately I only have little sisters for siblings. Claiming to be able to defeat them in a daring match of fists in unarmed combat just doesn't sound all that impressive

you have to go for the head! Haven't you seen any zombie movies!?

What style would you like to try if you had the time? Style(s) if you prefer. Of course, please state what you are training now and why you would like to cross train in that art.

While I may come across as two faced given my previous post, I do agree with your viewpoint (I posted earlier on this thread about how many MMAers I've run into are more 'respectful' then TMAers). MMA gyms provide some of THE best training to be an all around fighter in all ranges, and the people tend to be very helpful in helping you learn (especially for a slow learner like me). If you come in with an 'attitude' you probably won't last too long, and although the fights may be fierce looking, a hug and a handshake are often the final outcomes of a bout. However, I was touching on earlier that I do agree with some (not all) of the sentiments that Mall_Detective has. I strongly disagree that because MMA looks different from many TMAs in fighting and that it doesn't look smooth, that it is any less of a martial art. Nevertheless, the promotions around the events themselves grate on my nerves as I touched on a couple of posts ago. I'd like to support my local fighters, but I don't like having to listen to all of the trash talk and poor behavior NOT given by the fighters and usually the people there supporting them and those who love martial arts (including MMA), but the large portion of the audience who just wants to see a beating and drink. Granted, these sorts of people are at ALL sporting events. Anyone who has done reffing at anything from local kiddie games to the big leauges can tell you that. However MMA attracts a larger than normal number of these people. I hope this clarifies my position a bit better.

That episode was crazy- you could tell that her students were terrified of her

I think it is important for women to train with men and experience full resistance training with them. There are A LOT of guys out there who won't hesitate to hit a girl, and they won't hold back and you need to prepare for that. Nevertheless, if some girl starts beating on you and you turn around and punch her in the face- doesn't matter who started it, no court is going to side with you unless she tried to stab you with a knife or something along those lines. Plus I have a no girl hitting policy outside of training

Malldetective- I don't that MMA fighting is dishonorable, or that MMA fighters are not martial artists. Knowing people who practice MMA, and having had the privilege of being able to train in MMA (even though for just a short bit), I have a great respect for the system. My problem isn't with the fights, it's with the promotions AND the audience. MMA audiences attract 15-120% fight enthusiasts, and the rest tend to be 16-35 years olds who want to see blood and drink lots of booze (my friend had an event after an mma fight and he said he had never seen so many beer cans in all of his life). Now, people who are normally 'uncouth' don't need much encouragement to shout out obscenities, make cat calls, and start arguments. Get a little alcohol into them, and you get what I call the Hinderhough formula: MMA audience member + X quarters of a glass of beer = to the Xth degree. It's a very negative environment that not only would I never take a child (or really myself to), but also paints a very easy to bring up stereotype against us who enjoy MMA as bloodthirsty sociopaths. Despite its own faults, that's a reason why I like K-1 and the now defunct PRIDE over a lot of western promotions. Not because its from Asia which makes it 'better' than what is in the West, but because it is set up in a lot more professional manner that I would expect for something that wants to be a mainstream sport. Touching on the promotions for MMA fights, I just read an interview that was given with the heads of one of the top MMA apparel brands. Their response to the question of what they thought of criticism that they were 'bad for the sport' featured so many deleted explicatives that I think they must have exhausted every one in the English language. I think that pretty much sums of the promotion culture that you find at these things: Women, promised blood, 'attitude', and beer. It certainly makes money. Also besides an audience that would fit in better with a kegger (or a little league game), you also have the 'hard core' music, the 'ring girls' who in some events go in topless (or just ring girls and drunk guys shouting out pickup lines - its hardly a good reflection on how women are supposedly supposed to be viewed by men), and varying projectiles that make it hard to concentrate on the actual event. I JUST WANT TO WATCH AN MMA MATCH! I don't need to be drunk, objectifying women, or shouting out bad advice to the fighters to do that. Oh, and Dana White. Could do without him too. ...um, I still recommend MMA training as some of the best out there by the way

That's what I have heard, however the stability given is probably the best you can get (especially against those pesky double legs ). From what I've seen, most use a thai/boxing stance, although a very small amount sometimes use a karate influenced stance (like George st. Pierre).

Wrestling and judo are so wide spread however, that they almost have reached maximum capacity. BJJ is still growing because it still is being discovered by people. On the other hand, Americans have been wrestling for hundreds of years (and Europeans), and almost every High school has a program. For us Yankees, Judo is admittedly not much of a factor. Judo participation is down nation wide, and US showing in the Olympics while usually great, are not so wonderful when it comes to judo. Worldwide however, Judo is huge. Asia, Europe, and South America are hot spots. Judo was also adapted and modified into local culture into both BJJ and SAMBO. Thus with both of the arts being so widespread, I think that BJJ is joining the ranks and influencing, rather than replacing these arts.

The number given can vary- but really a good portion are very obscure. Also pressure points don't work on everyone, can be nullified by being tense or pumped up during a fight, and are useless even if you are off by just half an inch. For instance, right behind your ear lobe there is a pressure point that hurts if you dig hard into it. However that isn't going to KO someone or even prevent them for continuously punching you while you try and use the point.