Non contact

[bushido_man96]

I think you can take what you learn in Karate and apply it to a Kickboxing ruleset. The contact will be a good teacher I think. It only offers the standup aspect of the fight, but it is a place to look at for some feedback.

[Bouncing_swords]

At out club we have full contact sparring (but not full power if that makes sense).

But with the adults when doing partner work, like blocks and other such things we tend to use neafr to full power as i see it as the best way to getting used to getting knocks which you will do in the big wide world and getting as use to it as you can (lol).

[kansascityshuffle]

Thanks for you input guys

On another note what do people think about say doing Thai boxing / Kickboxing as a way to get more contact.

Can Kick boxing and Karate work together ?

Yes, they can but it takes some time. My advice, from my own experience would be to "forget" your Karate as much as you can while you start out in Muay Thai. Once you start to get your Muay Thai down than can you start to combine the two together. Karate has helped me tremendously in Muay Thai, especially with guys that have only trained in Muay Thai.

I recommend "forgetting" your Karate or more or less trying not to do it while in Muay Thai because a lot of the footwork is different, not having your hands up will get you punched a lot. At least my first 3 months of Muay Thai had me taking a lot of punches to the face because I had my hands a lot lower in more of a "karate guard".

I feel that Karate has helped me out a lot in terms of muay thai and kickboxing competition. I know a lot of people that came from TKD backgrounds into Muay Thai who also are having success using both arts together.

However, once you go to "full contact", be it Muay Thai or knockdown kumite rules, it's very hard to go back to point sparring, in fact, near impossible to do it successfully. Don't get me wrong, I can point spar, but if I was to compete in a AAU/USANKF/WKF/JKA rules Karate tournament I would not do well at all. I wouldn't get hurt, I might get DQ'd for doing a technique that's not legal, for punching someone in the face, kneeing etc. When I used to compete in knockdown rules I would have to quit doing muay thai/kickboxing type of sparring for at least a month just to acclimate to not punching in the face and no "full circle" clinching(not allowed under any knockdown rules kumite).

I'd like to hear of anybody that has successfully gone back and forth between point sparring and muay thai competition, because I have yet to meet that person.

[tallgeese]

Almost anything that you want to train in can work together given some effort. One system will almost inevatibaly take precedence over the other as you develop preferences, but that's alright. It's part of the process of individualizing your fighting.

Certanily you should focus on learning what ever it is that you are doing at the moment in totaility during that time. But I don't see an issue with doing both.

kansascity and I tend to disagree about the place and timing of cross training, and that's fine. I do agree wholeheartedly with him on his evaluation of how contact fighting will make it diffuclut to do point-style sparring ever again. It's nearly impossible. I too have never really met that person who went to fighting heavy contact that was ever able to transition really well back to the point game.

[joesteph]

I remembered this post from when I started Soo Bahk Do, which is quite strict about non-contact when sparring. I did learn self-defense techniques over the past two years, but the old-fashioned "put up your dukes" is where I questioned how non-contact sparring, and I mean it's not even controlled sparring with gear, could be training me for an actual altercation.

Tonight, at my new school, Universal Warrior, I had my first contact sparring sessions. The gear I'd bought on my own was more than others wore, but Shihon told me to wear it all. Anyone I sparred with, there were no strikes to the face, more for my protection than theirs.

It wasn't point-sparring; it was continuous, and I got creamed. After two years of non-contact sparring, even the controlled contact was a surprise to feel. I didn't want to quit; I didn't need to call out to take it easy; I did want to get some of my shots to connect. Shihon had to encourage me to stop falling short of my opponent and hit him; then he had to encourage me to hit with some degree of force. At first, I was "tapping." It wasn't until the third opponent that I felt I was doing something. I wasn't winning, but I was doing something!

For children, I do prefer the values, self-defense techniques (anti-bullying included), and non-contact sparring that Soo Bahk Do offers. For teens and adults who would find contact at any level a turnoff, I believe they should be able to enjoy any martial art that makes them feel comfortable. Personally, I don't have the desire to do full contact; controlled is just right for me.

[Dobbersky]

Thanks for you input guys

On another note what do people think about say doing Thai boxing / Kickboxing as a way to get more contact.

Can Kick boxing and Karate work together ?

As long as you realise that non contact does not prepare you for a physical attack. Almost everyone here will have a story of a non contact karate black belt freezing and being beaten up because hey'd never been hit before.

In my dojo we practice Full Contact Knock down Karate, see the link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_contact_karate

Although we practice Semi Contact Bunkai of the kata, and the Lower grade controls the pace, although same grade it is up to them how "hard" they want to "fight"

Karate and kickboxing work as long as you have a long term footing in one or the other, I recommend at least Brown belt in one before cross training

OSU