Forget about wearing someone down

Folks,





I think that there is an attitude out there that could very well cost someone their life. People who are well trained in combat sports are often the victim of this kind of thinking," I have been boxing for years and I KNOW my hands are better than his." I have seen some excellent sport combatants apply the rules of their sport to a real fight. Sometimes the results were good. Other times they were disastrous.





I just recently watched a show about Krav Maga on the Discovery Channel. Now I rather enjoyed the fact that they were training a certain kind of mindset as well as fight skills. I asked for the opinions of some folks on nhbgear.com and got some interesting opinions. All I got was a lot of links to mcdojo krav maga schools and even more sarcasm. I think that some people missed the point of the show. I thought that it made a clear distinction between the comprehensive combat arts, and prize fighters. I was told that the Americans were being hazed and that there was no realism.



Now as far as I remember, the Israelis have been a battle hardened people. I cannot imagine that they would train in a system that is ineffective in war times. They do not have the luxury of training for sport in the military. They train to kill. The difference in mindset is amazing. If you are assured that your opponent will not try to kill you, you can make certain concessions during your match. Combat has no guarantess.

But what I liked was that these guys never retreated. Not to say that in certain instances, retreating is not necessary. But the idea of moving forward to destroy your opponent is one that many martial artists are missing. From a mental standpoint, the person who can sustain their attack will win/survive the altercation. Dont take my word folks, look it up.

Anyhow, what I am saying is: Dont focus too much on strategy. Learn to overwhelm your opponent with your technical skill and your ferocity. Your training should hone your instincts to react to whatever is going on in front of you. Remember, our goal is survival, not glory.

Mixed martial artists missing the obvious

Folks,



I am amazed that I even have to make this post. I mean it should be so obvious it isnt even funny. But for the slow folks out there, here I go. For the past 14 years or so, the mixed martial artists have been having a good time talking down to the traditoinal martial artists. They have been using mixed martial arts competitions as proof positive that traditional martial arts dont work. According to them, Karate, TKD, Tang Soo Do and Kung-Fu are falling by the wayside. "They dont work." Anyone in ultimate fighting can beat up these so called black belts." Blah Blah Blah.



Let me help ya out folks. Long before any of you had ever heard of mixed martial arts, the traditional martial arts have been saving peoples butts every day. One good punch, one good kick, one good throw are all you need to end most altercations. Most folks in the world are not that skilled. Fact of the matter is, the traditional martial arts are still responsible for most of the life saving techniques that are happening today. Training in any art will up your survival chances big time, and if the mixed martial arts competitions ever do die out, the old school stuff will still be saving heinies world-wide.

Now, for the slow and stubborn out there, this is for you. The mixed martial arts world techniques are composed of 4 main arts: Boxing, Thai-Boxing, Wrestling and Jujitsu. Most folks figure that these are the core of mixed martial arts neccesities. In their mind, in order to succeed, all you need is the Big 4 mentioned above. These tournaments prove that the "traditional arts" are dying out.

News flash for your Einsteins out there. Jujitsu as we know it has roots several centuries long. Thai boxing has been saving hind parts in Thailand back when it was still known as Siam. Wrestling is perhaps the oldest of all martial systems. It dates and likely predates The Sumerians and Mesopatamians. Boxing was popularized by the Greek Olympics, but likely it has been around for much longer than that. So I may be wrong folks, but that just mean that MMA guys are practicing *gasp* traditional arts.

So what is the difference? Purpose. MMA guys fight for money and glory. Traditional artists should be training to save their lives in a real life and death encounter. Rules and purpose make all of the difference guys. Usually MMA guys are better athletes, having come from an athletic background. Are they better? Nope. Are they usually better conditoned? Yup!!!

Hate to tell you folks, MMA guys practice traditional martial arts. They just do it in a prize-fighting context. Hate to burst some bubbles but.........* POP*

Are you a machine gunner or a sniper?

Hey folks,

When I bring up machine guns and snipers I am not talking about gun skills. I am talking about fighting styles. When I say that, I dont mean TKD versus escrima versus jiujitsu. I mean, in what style do you implement your attacks?

A sniper is usually more of a tactician. He usually looks for the right spot, looking to cause maximal damage with every blow. Snipers often come from sport fighting backgrounds. They are highly skilled in striking precise targets with great accuracy. Then, lithe as a matador, can bounce out of danger with nary on scratch on their person. Now granted sport fighters do not often strike with full power, but one cannot deny the skill that it takes to land their strikes with such consistency. If you would like to check out some skilled snipers, you dont have to look far. In the good old days, Thomas LaPuppet could hit you and be out of dodge like nobody's business. Bill Wallace was also a guy that could lay a mean kick on you without taking one in return. Ray Wizard and "Ridge" are just a couple of guys who could cover space like lightning and lower one mean coup de grace. If mixed martial arts are your thing, check out Takanori Gomi. What he lacks in numbers of punches, he makes up for in power. Watch his match against Jens Pulver. He crushed Jens, a man with pro boxing experience, with a measured body attacks. Then while he had Jens thinking about those rib shots, one uppercut sent Jens crashing to the mat seperated from his senses. Mirko Cro-Cop, the head-kicking nightmare is another example. He has been a consistent highlight real producer, with a pile-driver left hand, and a movie-perfect head kick.

Now, on the other hand, there are machine gunners. Machine gunners are guys who often overwhelm their opponent, as much with their ferocity as skill level. While they may not throw every punch with knockout conviction they will throw punches, kicks and everything else until you fall down. In boxing, Sugar Ray Leonard was a good example of a man who could dissect you with bunches of punches. Duane "The Bang" is a Thai Boxer turned mixed martial artists who is famous for throwing salvos of techniques from every direction. Watch his matches from King of the Cage and Gladiator Challenge. Also Vitor Belfort is an example of a machine gunner. Early in his career, he blazed his way through opponents in sub minute time frames. Machine gunner are firm believers in " If at first you dont succeed."

Now personally, I am a born sniper. I have had a lot of success striking what I want,when I want. It has worked for me. But I also want to develop as a martial artist, so I am trying to become more of machine gunner. I want to throw a lot of strikes that all do damage. And what will that make me? Better I suppose :)