First lesson

[baronbvp]

Thaegen, this is a good post.

I have found the same thing with my hybrid style. Over the years I have learned a little of many styles, instead of a lot of one style. I started shorin-ryu karate about four months ago, but when sparring I am still more comfortable using mostly kickboxing and boxing style. I mix though.

My stance shuffles instead of bounces, I keep my hands up and elbows in like a boxer, I go straight at my opponent with very fast, aggressive strikes from the shoulder that overwhelm a defense. But more like MA, I do more blocking inside and outside, high and low whereas a boxer would do more ducking, slipping, and weaving. I use my open hands where a boxer keeps fists. I change from leading with my right (I am southpaw) to leading with my left when I get tired or the situation dictates. I kick mostly front kicks and some roundhouse, and mostly with my lead leg. I also block with my leg and use it to begin or finish a combination. I use elbows and knees.

I actually like getting hit (some) which is why sparring is my favorite night of class. I think you learn from fighting people with other styles, even if you don't want to incorporate any of those elements in your own style.

What I am trying to learn now from shorin-ryu is to focus on one style and learn the background, the logic, and the artistry of what I think is a beautiful style. Next time I go sparring (which we do Friday nights), I will change from my comfort zone style to a learning style. More karate footwork with pivots and stances. More strikes besides only punches and kicks. Striking from the belt with my hips swiveling, instead of straight from the shoulder with a forward weight shift. I have to get use to not targeting the face since we aren't allowed to do that with sparring rules. (This is hard for me, breaking years of training!) I need to expand my repertoire of kicks and attacks from different angles.

So I will focus less on what I know, and more on what they are trying to teach me. I also want to take our sparring from striking to grappling on the ground, which my senseis have agreed to begin teaching.

I think you are doing very well. You see what works. You are watching how your current style works against a style that you've never sparred, and you are observing the strengths and weaknesses of your new style in action. I recommend focusing on MT for awhile, and when you get good then you can start adapting it to suit your own personal body strengths and style/technique preferences.

[Thaegen]

Oh boy, after a week I've come to the conlusion that the guys I sparred with when I did my first lesson were really bad:). Those who do thai for over a year kick my * and damn my legs hurt;)

[SevenStar]

that sounds about right.

[SevenStar]

My stance shuffles instead of bounces,

Actually, anyone that teaches you to bounce is teaching you improperly. watch a thai fight - they don't bounce. western guys can tend to bounce, but it's usually when they are out of attacking range. A boxers footwork is shuffling - they don't bounce either.

[SevenStar]

Hmm I don't see why a TMA won't do it, granted where I do Wing Tsun there is no conditioning.

Like I said in another post, no conditiong and no getting used to getting hit.

different fighting/training philosophies.

Yesterday I trained with the guys who don't compete, the guys who compete did their own training. I talked to some (not an instructor) and they told me that after a year I can ask to compete in fights. I don't see why I need to wait a year. Maybe I am to self confidient.

a year is the avg time frame. this gives you enough time to learn the techniqes, learn the defenses and most importantly, have a firm grasp of how to apply them. Also, that is sufficient time to get in shape.

I train for triathlon so my condition is not so bad;). There is ofcourse a differcene between duration sports and fighting in a ring. It are two different kind of conditions. But I train for both.

yeah, there is a different pacing. also running and biking are very aerobic. fighting is largely anaerobic.

Muay thai trains harder, agressive than most MA, but is it more dominant? I don't believe so, the style certainly isn't better than a TMA, the way they train their style is just thousand times better.

as I've said several times on this forum and others, the deciding factor is superior training methods - there is no dominant style.

But a muay thai fighter who only fights against MT fighters is also limited, I don't think cross training is the way to go, To train in 1 style extreme and test your style against other styles and than you adapt.

it's not necessarily about fighting other styles so much as it is fighting people you don't know, who want to tear your head off. No matter how many styles you fight against, the guy in the street may not have trained any of them.

I really don't hope that you think I am bashing MT, because that is not what I am trying to achieve. I going to keep doing it and it wil make me a better fighter and I really liked the sparring/ it was tense:D

nah, I don't think that. You're doing good so far, keep it up!

[baronbvp]

I learned to shuffle my feet when I fenced in high school. I'm not sure if you could consider fencing a martial art, but many of the movements are similar. I couldn't bounce now if I wanted to, which is good.

[SevenStar]

I would consider fencing a martial art.

[TigerHeart]

well do your best hope you face a thaiboxer from thailand someday, when you sparr do yuo clinch how hard were the low kicks, how hard did you box, I went on the floor two times after sparr with the instrutor my leg is sore...

Muay thai is about respect if you have no respect you'll not become a real thaiboxer, its baout the heart and the mind if you know you can beat somone you will enter with confidence