how to improve...

[french fri25]

hey guys,

my school is pretty small. we only have about 5 people in class every day so there isnt too much of a variety of fighting styles. in my school, i am the tallest person and have the longest kicking reach. when i started, i was completely owning my opponents, but now, they are learning how to get around my kicks. they keep on coming in and jamming me up, finishing me with a punch. i try to stop them with a sidekick when they come in but they just block and counter.

how can i become a better fighter and start winning some more points like i used to?

should i keep practicing more kicks and learn how to stop my opponents with kicking combos?

should i learn to fight inside instead of using my kicks as much?

gimme some advice on what i should do guys. thx.

[Shorin Ryuu]

I think you already know your answer. You seem to have focused not only on just kicking, but kicking to keep the enemy at bay. You need to adjust your mindset to fighting at all distances. Since you're adjusting, you have to especially focus on close distance to make up for what you have been doing.

[ps1]

Chances are good that if you have the longest legs, you also have the longest arms. That is a huge advantage. Lift your leg as if to kick and quickly plant into a deep front stance with a long low reverse punch. Start using your arms with your long stances and you could become extremely difficult to deal with.

[bushido_man96]

My answer is yes to all of your questions. Continue to improve your kicking techniques, and also work on your punches and strikes. Change your weaknesses into strengths.

Also, work on your footwork. Side step, cut, etc. to create space and give yourself advantages angles from which to work.

Something else you might do is go outside your usual group (if you can) and finds some other people to spar and workout with. Changing your environment can help to open your eyes to new ideas and help you change things up a bit.

Everyone has caught onto what you are doing in your group. So now, you have to change it up.

[french fri25]

thanks for the replys guys. yea, i wish i could train with other people but i go to a catholic school so nobody who does MA lives near me.

yea, i need to learn to punch more, but i always use my kicks for defense and by the time i get my leg down, they're all over me. i just think im more of a continuous kickboxing type of person. im good at the kickboxing at my school because you dont stop fighting after someone scores. its the point sparring that kills me because i have some really fast people at my school and its like as soon as i throw a kick they block and rush in on me. if they did that in kickboxing, there would be a big right cross just waitin for them, but since point sparring doesnt allow head contact, i cant fully extend my arm and its hard to score because you cant tell if it was a punch or just my guard extended a little too much.

ps1, i love long stances but my teacher doesnt allow it. i take MDK and he always tells me to stand up tall and use my reach. i always sink my stances and he always tells me to stand up tall.

all in all, i guess i should try some new things. it would really fool my classmates if i started looking like a boxer more than a TKD guy. they wouldnt know what to do with me.

[bushido_man96]

If sinking your stance works for you, then I would try to do it more anyways, even if the instructor doesn't care for it. Everyone fights differently, and that is the beauty of it.

As for your punching while sparring, you just have to make yourself totally abandon your kicking for a period of time during a sparring match in class so that you can figure out ways to use your hands more (if that is your goal). That is a good way to make yourself adjust and adapt.

Since you don't have other people to spar, then change the way you spar, and it may affect the way they spar. In the end, it benefits everyone involved, because everyone is learning something different.

[DWx]

You could just try some different combos or techniques. Adapt like Bushidoman said. I train at club level with a member of the national team and can score against him even though I'm nowhere near his level. The only reason why I win is because I can predict 9/10 what he is going to do. Maybe everyone else is just learning how to beat you because they know what you will do?

[learning kempo-karate]

Hello, If they learn to get around your long legs (kicking)...you must find a way to get around them from jaming your kicks and learn how to expect a punch and counter there counter! ...counter the counter...so on!

You must be telegraphing your moves. Pactice in front of a mirror...when you can move faster than person you see in the mirror...you will be AWESOME!

Learn more about feintings/fake movements too!

When you practice with the same people oll the time! ...they can read your body and know what you are about to do. Become a Professioal POKER player/ or get a POKER FACE and movements.

Learn speed techniques,especially the foot works. Learn to attack quicker than you did before. BE a smarter fighter....(How?) ....should I share my SECRETS? ......OK ....practice harder than anyone else ....practice everyday....work the speed training excerises...learn to have a poker face/movements....just by lowing you stance about 1" inch..you movements will be quicker too. ....study this! .........Aloha

[french fri25]

thanks a lot guys. its hard to spar the same people every day because as you all said, they can basically predict what i am about to do. i think the feints and fakes are something i definitely need to work on though.

thanks a lot for the advice. i was just not sure what i should do with my fighting style, but im gonna try to adapt and make myself unpredictable again.

bushido man, i actually talked to my instructor about using my hands more than my feet and he came up with a great drill.

when we spar, one person can only use their hands. no kicks at all. and the other person can only use kicks. no hands,except for blocking of course. it actually helped me realize how important and how efficient hand combos can be. i guess i was always a little paranoid about being so close to my opponent, but now that i try to get in on them, i realize how hard it is for them to defend. i do the same thing they did to me, i jam them up.

thanks a lot guys.

[bushido_man96]

You could just try some different combos or techniques. Adapt like Bushidoman said. I train at club level with a member of the national team and can score against him even though I'm nowhere near his level. The only reason why I win is because I can predict 9/10 what he is going to do. Maybe everyone else is just learning how to beat you because they know what you will do?

This is exactly the point that I was getting at as well. (Great minds think alike! ).

when we spar, one person can only use their hands. no kicks at all. and the other person can only use kicks. no hands,except for blocking of course. it actually helped me realize how important and how efficient hand combos can be. i guess i was always a little paranoid about being so close to my opponent, but now that i try to get in on them, i realize how hard it is for them to defend. i do the same thing they did to me, i jam them up.

It is great that you addressed your instructor about your concerns. As you can see, this is a great course of action, because he was able to provide some teaching specific to your needs, and also helped out the rest of the class as well.

Here is one other very small, simple thing that you can do to alter your fighting style....if you have a favorite side, just switch stances to the other side. Fight ONLY from that side. It will be a whole new world to you and your opponents/partners. Give it a whirl!