People who don't know what to do...

[Tim Greer]

Good points. I personally find myself wanting to ask 1/2 the people I see in public, if they want to spar. Seriously. If I see some big 6'8", 400lb guy checking my groceries at the market, I feel like saying "Hey, would you be interested in sparring? I don't know a lot of huge people I can practice fighting against". Of course, I don't do that, but I do try and find anyone I know, people of all sizes, and a lot have no martial arts training, to spar with. They usually are okay with it and it's good practice. Also, when sparring against people that do know what they are doing and are skilled, we intentionally put in enough practice with the other person doing what people do in real fights -- nothing planned and just what people would really do, even if it is stupid to people that are trained, you can prepare for people that came at you with these type of things.

 

 

[iamrushman]

tim you have the most interesting training techniques.

 

 

[Angus]

That's why i say you can practice kata and the application of the moves untilt the cows come home but you are not gonna beat teh guy who spends the same amount of time sparring and doing other stuff that's gonna help him in the fight... WOW, you can breathe better than him, GREAT!! He can knock you out with one punch!! dfgshjfgjdfgjsfhsdfghj *going insane*

 

Angus

 

 

[Jack]

So, does anybody know any good training methods to help for that fateful day when somebody picks a fight with you? The blindfold method my school uses occasionally could be of help mabye?

 

 

[Tim Greer]

I think one of the main key aspects, and this is no secret to any of us, is just going and doing it. Doing it as fast, hard and real as you can, with as many different type's of people, with as many different types of skills and personalities, sizes and strengths as you can. Take it to the limits and just don't get hurt. The more you do it, the less you'll get hurt. Just do it. All the training in the dojo is great, useful and valuable, but be it within the dojo, outside, with friends, at your house, at a park, whatever. Just go for it. Sure, you might get hurt, but that's part of the learning, part of building the talent, getting that real life experience. If you don't want to get hurt again, you better get better, faster and improve your fighting and technique(s).

 

Realistically, that's the only interactive way you're going to get better, is by doing it, and not just tag or light sparring. That's all fine and has it's place, but so does anything else that is more real. It has to be real, to give you a real skill that you can use in a real fight. Other methods to help develop these skills are effective and great, but no one will argue that really doing it, to the limits, is going to be of great help to that effect. This is why many people are training, so do what you're being trained for. Few things will give you as much experience and improvement. If you don't want to get hit or hurt, you will improve your speed, timing and technique -- and that's up to you.

 

Also, don't be afraid to break out of or improve on what you've learned. Be it it's something that is modified or something you never thought it. Think about it, try it and develop it. it might be a very effective technique. Study the reasons behind it. How is it effective? What are the pros and cons to this technique? How powerful is it? Is it likely you can and will be able to use it in a real conflict? Where's the power coming from? Are you well protected when using the technique? How well or easily can it be countered? How well and easily can it be used? How can you improve the power and speed of this technique? Can it be further modified and improved upon? Repeat those steps again and again.

 

Always keeping in mind the principals of them. Develop your fighting skills by using them, being inventive about it. Don't be afraid to try and develop new techniques. Ask you instructor(s) what they thing, if they can show you why it's a good or poor technique. Share it with people and ask them, maybe someone can help you improve it or show you something similar that's already been developed. Just do it safely, don't injure yourself, and study the principals of why and how.

 

That's what any good martial arts style encourages, is that you teach yourself, develop the style and skills. They (any style) can only teach you so much, it's all just a bases for you to build your style off of and use what works best for you, what's natural and for you to continue to develop and improve well beyond your training, art/style and school and instructor. Just get out there and do it, and keep doing it.

 

There's no rewards, no thank you's, it's all for you and you need to keep up on top of things, if you want to be proficient enough to truly defend yourself in a real situation. Develop your mind, body and skills, and prepare. Just get out there and do it, there's no secret about it. Find any friend, or enemy (heh) and have them assist you by trying things with them. There's also no reason why you can't or shouldn't teach them. You learn a lot by teaching, remember a lot an it can open new doors in your theories and knowledge. There's a vast number of things that can be discussed, taught and trained for, but it all comes down to doing it.

 

So, go for it and do it! While you're reading this, some hillbilly is getting drunk, brawling with his hillbilly buddies, getting more experience and more stupid, getting experience you could be getting. Always remember someone's being active, what are you doing to improve yourself? So, act on it. That's right, let lose of the mouse, get your fingers off the keyboard, close your applications, save your information, turn off the computer and go pick something up, start writing things down.. ideas, applications, techniques, anything you can put to use, build off of or use as a policy. Be it useful or inspiring, it doesn't matter.

 

Then call up a friend, ask people from your dojo(s) or school or work, knock on your neighbors' door and pull him out of his house (okay, maybe not a great idea, but you get the point), or whatever that you meet and enjoy the company of, if they might be interested in training with you. Then, go for it, have fun and develop yourself. That said, if you do those things, you will almost always be more ready for a conflict, than the person that's starting the conflict.

 

 

[Angus]

SO TRUE!! SO VERY VERY TRUE!!! I COULD NOT HAVE EXPRESSED IT ANY BETTER!!!! Get in and beat each other up!! learn through pain!! MAKE PAIN YOUR FRIEND!!

 

Angus

 

 

[Tim Greer]

Well, yeah, that's basically it, I guess, it it's essence. I mean, realistically, you're training and preparing to deal with a conflict with the outcome being pain to one or more people, including yourself. You can't learn and know how to use a skill, unless you get used to the variables and aspects involved in it. It's like trying to learn how to ride horseback by watching videos, getting used to sitting on a saddle and bouncing around and think that's preparing yourself to really ride one day. No thanks, I'll choose the route to safely and effectively learn how to handle a horse and ride a saddle and just start doing it, step by step, if need be. You just have to do it.

 

You can blind fold yourself, tie your legs together, while balancing on bricks over a 1,000 foot drop into a raging river with your shoe strings untied, but I'd prefer to spend more time being involved in real aspects of real fighting techniques and environments with different people, going all out, as much as is reasonable. That's not to say that certain things don't help you develop skills or improve upon them, just that the only want to really be ready for something, is to get as much experience as you can, by really doing it. Exercises and whatnot can certainly help, but they are absolutely no replacement for really doing it. That's all there is to it, you just have to do it.

 

 

[thaiboxerken]

I find that some martial arts can teach the weakest non-fighting types of people how to fight. Other martial arts teach the strongest fighters nothing and can actually hurt a fighter's ability. I feel there are martial arts that work great for a higher percentage of "average" people where some other martial arts take years of developement and only can be used to fight by only talented people.

 

There are many that say "Muay Thai only attracts people with a 'fighting' mentality". This is somewhat true, but there are also many people that never want to fight and train Muay Thai. I've taught the cutest little girls Muay Thai and the art itself has turned these little girls into fighting women. It's very rare that I get a student that 'just won't get it'. The tecniques work and the training develops the 'fighter mentality'.

 

 

[MuayTB1]

you call that training! i have been to a teakwondo school and saw a 210 pounds 13 years old that had paid his way to a black blet. He could kick higher then his waist and when i say that he is paying his way, i mean that, he paid 100 dallors for his black blet and the teacher wasn't even watching. when my time is up, i left the school without a second thought. that is not even called training. only about 10 persent of people train to fight and train for defence and the rest just want to get fit and lose weight.

[ewing]

nullI think you should always spare with the best people possible. Also like Tim said get one of your friends and ask them to train with you.

 

If you spare with the same people all of the time you will only develope a fight stance/style around the way they fight.

 

 

 

So, I guess I am saying mix it up.

 

 

 

This Message was edited by: ewing on Jul 27, 2001 12:10pm