Does Martial Arts really help?

[bushido_man96]

Good advice, tallgeese. Mentally rehearsing these things, along with some physical walk-thrus can go a long way towards preparation.

[Bushido-Ruach]

I don't just beleive that the martial arts can help you in a street fight, I have lived it and I know it works...as long as you train appropriately. I learned a long time ago that you will fight the way you train, as I have stated on other boards.

When I was about 12 or 13, I was jumped by about 9 guys, all older and bigger than I was, and I was beat down. I didn't know how to fight, I swung my fists and moved my body to avoid hits, but I didn't know what I was doing.

Then I saw my first Bruce Lee movie, and I swore I would never be beat down again without taking some, if not all, of them down with me. Since then I have only had a few skirmishes, and I won them because then I knew what to do and when to do it. That knowledge makes all the difference in the world, and you only get it by training.

You know, one of the things that really helped me in my daily training exercises is following one of Lee's suggestions: "No matter where you are, in your car, in a restaraunt, pumping your gas...imagine someone attacking you in several different scenarios, and imagine your trained responses to those attacks." It is mental training, and it also works!

Hope that helps!

[joesteph]

You know, one of the things that really helped me in my daily training exercises is following one of Lee's suggestions: "No matter where you are, in your car, in a restaraunt, pumping your gas...imagine someone attacking you in several different scenarios, and imagine your trained responses to those attacks." It is mental training, and it also works!

I remember this about Lee, that he would be on automatic in assessing his surroundings (say in a seated position while having a meal) and determining what he would do if attacked (in the chair or booth he was having the meal in), or if an attacker presented himself (his defense being an offensive move). This didn't mean he was paranoid; it meant he was aware, alert.

Am I paranoid because when I'm on line, say at the local McDonald's, and my children are in their favorite booth, that I like that booth, that it's easy for me to turn my head and spot them, keeping an eye on them--or perhaps keeping an eye out for them? Parents today will usually say no.

The same goes for adults, and the one who thinks "How can I get up from this seat to defend myself?" "What would I do if the guy at the corner I'm approaching tries to get behind me?" etc. is more likely to send out a don't-even-try-it signal, and be ready for action if the need arises.

[Bushido-Ruach]

I hear you, especially when it comes to my kids. I seat them right where I can easily watch them, and I don't believe it is being paranoid. To me, if someone walks away from their kids and don't pay any attention to them at all, they don't really care for their kids, they are more a nusance (?) to them than anything else.

I used to work in a Wal*Mart store, in the toy section, and I would see people walk off leaving their kids there to play, like it was McDonals' Land or something. They didn't care (in my mind at least) what happened until they either ended up missing or hurt, then all of the sudden they wanted to sue the store for their stupidity. Just burned me up.

But, especially here where I live, if you don't watch your children someone can just grab them and walk off with them.....and it has happened more than once.

[tallgeese]

My rule of thumb in regards to my kids is that when we're out in a crowded or populated area, they get no furter from me than I can reliabley place center mass shots on a would-be abductor.

[bushido_man96]

My rule of thumb in regards to my kids is that when we're out in a crowded or populated area, they get no furter from me than I can reliabley place center mass shots on a would-be abductor.

Hehehe...I like your style, tallgeese!

[doug_kissaki]

Mabye its just the fancy moves like a backflip kick that wouldnt work, especially if you are grabbed.

Don't confuse movie martial arts with real martial arts. Originally, karate did not have all the high, flashy kicks.

I'm sure you used your martial arts training more than you realize.

Were you able to block any of the attacks coming at you? Did you have a certain level of confidence you might have had without MA training? Were you able to deliver any effective techniques? Whether you could fight or not before you learned MA, these abilities were likely improved by your training.

Also, any attack has an appropriate MA defense. If you didn't instinctively use them, that simply means you are not trained enough in them. WAIT... before you or anyone else takes offense to what I just said, it was not meant as an insult.

Training realistic scenarios with increased pressure (this can mean full contact, but it really doesn't have to) done many, many times (not just until you feel you understand the techniques) will ultimately become almost reflex.

My instructor, Vince Morris, has written several articles and devoted chapters in books to this very topic. If there is any interest, I will get permission from him to post excerpts here.

[joesteph]

Training realistic scenarios with increased pressure (this can mean full contact, but it really doesn't have to) done many, many times (not just until you feel you understand the techniques) will ultimately become almost reflex.

This is a problem not just limited to martial arts but to any sport, that someone feels "I know that already" and cuts back on training (or practice sessions), or moves on to other techniques and gets as rusty as can be with the old. In my upcoming test, there are two new hyungs required, but my instructor will have us present ourselves to the examiner with four, so we keep on training old and new. I respect her for it.

My instructor, Vince Morris, has written several articles and devoted chapters in books to this very topic. If there is any interest, I will get permission from him to post excerpts here.

I'm interested, Doug, and I'm sure others are, too.

[doug_kissaki]

Hyungs? Is that the Korean word for Forms?

[joesteph]

Hyungs? Is that the Korean word for Forms?

Yes, Doug, and despite the widespread popularity of Korean karate, I think more Americans are familiar with the Japanese term, kata. I've noticed that when someone refers to a Chinese form, say a Taiji one, it's just "form"--no special Chinese word is used.