New to this and want to see about full contact

[Enshin Karate]

Just registered for here and wanted to see what the feeling of full cotact fighting is. Everyone seems to think that it is thuggish. Even though I would never think that training with katas and no contact is a waste of time, people want to down grade our style because we want to go a little farther and test ourselves and our style. Around this area (Washington DC) it is alot of americanized TKD. It would be nice to hear from someone who enjoys taking the next step.

[Superfoot]

I agree with "taking the next step". You will never appreciate the blocks and evasive techniques you are taught, if you do not put them to use in a spontaneous, free and full-contact environment. IMHO, full-contact fighting is the best way to develop one's own sense of persistence and toughness, something all martial arts try to instill in their students.

Full-contact is not thuggish. It is carried out in a controlled environment, with supervisors and goodwill between competitors, who are all striving to pursue their dreams and hopes of either becoming stronger, testing themselves, or just having fun with new techniques. I myself am a WTF TKD practitioner, but both my instructors have a background in Muay Thai and boxing, so they always intergrate that into our repatoire.

Consider yourself lucky for being with a great school. Do you use those Enshin Armguards regularly? The look fgreat to use, and on a more trivial note, have a nice blue colour to them.

Americanized TKD? Is this the same as what is taught at ATA? I mean this as a purely innocent question, as I have never had any instruction in ATA TKD.

[kyospirit]

Full Contact is the essence of Martial Arts !

[Enshin Karate]

We use rhe pads all the time. Excellent for fast moving combos. By americanized I mean that MA is not taught like it should. People here think that because they are moving around that it is martial arts. In other schools around here people get belts for time served. Put them in a fight and they would not know what to do. We have TKD students come in and last 2 days. But the ones that stay tend to great competitors.

I just came back from Friedburg, Germany for the European Sabaki and the Dojo in England, under Sensei Gary, did very well. Took home heavy and middle weight titles.

Our tournament is coming up in Jan so if I ever figure out how to get clips from our DVD,I will post some from our tournaments. Excellent spirit.

Eric

[IronWarrior]

It depends which type of Full Contact competiton your talking about if its Enshin Karate 'Sabaki Challenge' type events or Kyokushin Knockdown I love it! I dont like the UFC 'no holds barred' events.

[Enshin Karate]

I am the same way. I love Sabaki and styles like it. It is great to watch people compete for honor and spirit and not for money.

[IronWarrior]

Yes I like the aspect of respect and honour you see in the Sabaki and Knockdown Karate events, although there are some respectful fighters in the UFC e.t.c. I find theres too much trash talking and dis-respectful antics that go on, old school karate appeals to me much more.. Its probably do to the fact thats the way I was taught since I was 5 when I started Karate thats respect and your honour are very important.

[Enshin Karate]

To me, that is what martial arts does for people. I took over the softball team that my daughters played at and the first thing that I had to teach is honor and spirit. Last year was the first winning season in 18 years. People do not believe what honor and spirit can do until they see it in action.

[jnpnshr411]

I enjoy full contact sparring as ome have said, its essential for endurance and to truly appreciate what blocks, etc. you have learned.

[Enshin Karate]

Also learning how you can defend or attack after a move or block does not work.

Too many people give up when they do not execute their move properly.