How do we know?

[The Kyokushin punisher]

Here is a question that is been buggin me for a while maybe some insight from u guys can help me the bigger picture.

We Train karate not to use it...but we do all this training so how do we know if its effective if we dont use it?

I mean Sosai Mas Oyama needed to fight alot of men in his days he took on anyone but for someone to test out there art to see how effective it is when its instilled in us not to fight.

Im not sayin i should go to the night club and pick a fight with joe blow to see how i can take him or vise versa....But in the back of my mind i need to know what i can do...

Do u guys think its a self confidense issue on my part?

Thanks!

[Myth]

We are actually told not to abuse it rather than not to use it.

For as far as self confidence.. I don't know, but I like hitting and kicking punch bags and see what happens, comparing things too and then I notice that my left leg is actually still my weaker leg, but knew that already

[Shotokan-kez]

I do see where your coming from. But we also learn karate, but not to go out using it on people lol. I'm lucky to have never been in a real fight to have the need to use it...until then i will have to wait and see. You should see it that way too, i'm sure all these millions of people in the world wouldn't take karate if it wasn't effective. At the end of the day most of these people train in karate for self-defence.

[cathal]

I believe we all go through a period such as this one, when we start to get comfortable. Then we begin to analyze, critique, and begin testing ourselves. It's natural and I believe it isn't self-confidence. I've been able to resolve these feelings by practicing with a competent sparring partner. He and I test technqiues, self-defence, locks, throws, etc. We know one another quite well and trust that we won't hurt one another intentionally.

[Symphony-x]

Well, as a boxer and kickboxer I do pad work so, I already know I have KO power... as my trainer says, weight behind my punch, is a clear 1 hit 1 KO [yes, I really just wanted to show that off ].

Also, I do self protection classes within my karate classes as part of it.

[lordtariel]

You also have to remember that we train in karate for self-development. There's more to being strong than just fighting. Health, fitness, discipline, they're all things you get out of karate.

It is normal to want to know if what you do is effective, I sometimes wish we lived in an age where the only weapons people had were simple farm implements so I could give my tonfa a whirl

On another note what is the plural of tonfa? tonfas or tonfa?

[Elky]

You also have to remember that we train in karate for self-development. There's more to being strong than just fighting. Health, fitness, discipline, they're all things you get out of karate.

It is normal to want to know if what you do is effective, I sometimes wish we lived in an age where the only weapons people had were simple farm implements so I could give my tonfa a whirl

On another note what is the plural of tonfa? tonfas or tonfa?

Tonfa - there's no conjugation for number in japanese. They add a marker of quantity to the sentence instead.

Aaaaanyway...

How do you know your karate works? Well, if you test it against other people in the course of training then you know it works in a simulation of combat. Maybe this simulation isn't the same as real fighting, but neither is a car crash simulation in the factory and we still trust our lives to the data they produce. If you aren't satisfies with how close a simulation your class provides, then maybe try finding a closer simulation: MMA or a kickboxing match or become a nightclub bouncer! I'm happy with the simulation myself!

[bushido_man96]

I have felt the same as you from time to time. You want to know that if the time arises, everything will work. Someone has mentioned before that this is the benefit gained from stepping into a full contact MMA event, in order to put yourself in the situation, and see what you can make work.

[lordtariel]

Tonfa - there's no conjugation for number in japanese. They add a marker of quantity to the sentence instead.

Thanks. You learn something new every day.

[Rick_72]

No one, and I mean no one can ever acurately predict the outcome of a fight they haven't had yet. It doesn't matter how much training, in anything, that they've had.

If you train in martial arts for the rest of your life, and yet are never involved in a fight/physical altrication, I challenge you to look back on your life and honestly be able to state that your time was wasted.

If you want to test your Karate skills, get into a ring with another practioner and go to town on each other. Have fun proving each other's technique's work. Don't wish for a real fight that you may not like the outcome of. The outcome may have absolutely nothing to do with your skill level or practicality of your training, sometimes its just dumb luck that wins a real fight.