nine_weapons

why is it rare? you see untrained street fighters who defeat MA in streetfights. Put them in an MA for a few weeks and voila. Not only that, but these guys are trained. If you read the bios on the website they have prior MA experience.

I disagree. When you reach black belt level, or that level which you are considered proficient in the basic fundamentals of your particular system, then that is the time that you are really learning "IMHO". I have progressed so much since that time that I can't begin to describe it since getting my BB back in 1978. My reflexes are faster, timing is better, understanding of what I'm doing is phonomenally better, speed and smoothness of my techniques is better...in general, reaching black belt is just the beginning of understanding what your art is all about. I don't think that necessarily has anything to do with black belt. That is from years of practice and experience. Those things will come naturally. The more you practice, the better you get. It just so happens that as you progress, you are on a path of achieving rank. says who? that is an opinon based on perspective. Show me ANY martial artist who can enter a fighting competition at that age and win. If you are in your prime, that would dictate that not only are your skills at their peak, but you are also in peak condition, and at 65, this is not the case. I know you stated that this wasn't included in this study you saw, but in order to really reflect peak performance, it would have to be.

you cannot spot reduce fat. the body will just lose where it wants. The only thing you can do to assist it is maintain proper diet and exercise. Genetics will determine the rest. In general, for men, abdominal fat tends to go away faster than other areas.

working in the heavybag on the same day should be fine. Heck, you may want to incorporate it into the circuit. Punch out drills are drills where you puch the bag either as fast as possible or as hard as possible for a set amount of time. that would work nicely into your circuit.

I started because my parents put me in it (age 6). I kept with it because I like to compete and train hard. Now it is a way of life, as I work in a field where my skills come into play.

Not only that, but real altercations happen quickly. There is not always time for fakes.

brazilian top team black belt Adriano Pereira http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?FighterID=9346

in the state judo shiai a few years ago, I won 2nd place with that throw.

that is a very overused 'excuse'. having bounced in clubs, I have gone to the ground both on the club floor and on concrete outside of the club. I have NEVER landed on glass, pointy rocks, etc. contrary to popular belief. Yes, these things can happen, but they, IME, are the exception, not the rule.

the motion of these it what helps the grip... it is really awkward feeling. They are cool, but you can improve your grip without spending money on these.

ankle and wrist weights can cause hyperextension of the joints. If you use them, use slow motions, not full speed striking. Weighted clothing - vests, thigh pads, belts, etc. are great. I don't use my ankleweights much anymore, but love my weighted vest.

captain crunch? do you mean captain of crush? if you do, I don't have any, but know several people who have and love them.

haven't read this whole thread yet, but shockdocktor makes some awesome mouthguards. Brainpad is decent, but I couldn't always get them to fit right. you can custom fit most mouthguards these days, but if that absolutely doesn't work for you, talk to your dentist about getting one made.

I love the versatility of the kimura, but I am also a fan of the triangle choke.

just on what the student studies, though mma would be great. Some pressure testing is needed at some point - classroom sparring simply doesn't mimic the intensity, and the process of training for a competition teaches you a lot about yourself.

I saw the judo, but had to stay up to see it.

Sticking with your example, if I am looking to train kung fu, I would be looking for results in THAT venue. I wouldn't expect them to enter TKD or wrestling tourneys - I would be looking for san shou and hopefully (although unlikely) mma. Does lack of competition make you less of an instructor? IMO, it is all about experience. someone who has never fought in a ring has no business teaching someone how to fight in one. Someone who has never had a streetfight in their adult life has no business teaching someone how to defend themselves on the street, as they do not have the experience of doing it. I think this lack of fighting has been a contributing factor to what you see in schools today - lots of forms and point style fighting. From what I understand, back in the day, styles had few forms - some styles only had one. Most of their time was spent drilling, in contrast to now, where many (not all) schools put a priority on forms. 1. it's not about being close to reality - it's about fighting experience period 2. not all exponents have even had a real fight, so reality has no bearing in that case anyway. The full contact fighters have more overall experience that these people. I would argue that competition should be required for all MA at some point.

It shouldn't, but it can. What is your current regimen? As for rest, you CAN workout daily... It all depends on how you are working out.

yeah, they are.

you may not FEEL like a victim. I don't FEEL like I am getting older, but I am. if you are conditioned to have a defensive mindset, you are conditioning yourself to act like a victim... "If he hits me, I will hit him back" - why not hit him first? to hit first is aggression, seen by some as the opposite of self defense. This, IMO, has nothing at all to do with the 'no mind' state that you are referring to. You can be trained to instantaneously react without thought. That is the 'no mind' state, but is also defensive, not pre-emptive - a victim mindset.

I may be wrong, but I think this is along the lines of what BM was talking about - this is more of a victim style mindset. you won't attack unless you are attacked first. I on the other hand will attack FIRST If I feel an attack is inevidable. This is the pre-emptive strike which he referred to. In many schools, they teach only to defend, and not to attack unless you are attacked first. I won't say this is a bad thing per se, but it can place you in the situation of not having time to use your skills to defend yourself, because that one strike may have been all it took for him to KO you.

bench 330 squat 450 shrug 315 deadlift 475 bent row 250

hitting the bag is one of the best exercises you can do for your deltoids. It also helps keep your structure in check. Working the bag in conjunction should not lead to overtraining, but that will of course be determined by your body and the rest of your workout.

last I heard, wushu will not be an event. there are plenty of ma related events though - wrestling, judo, fencing, boxing, archery, equestrian... IMO, all except for the last two are more interesting to watch than wushu anyway.

I have. the reason a lot of people don't know them is because they are not required knowledge until black belt level. Some instructors will start showing them to you at one of the brown belt levels.