Having a few tricks up your sleeve
Folks,
This may seem a little odd, but I am going to go for it anyway. See folks, it is time we checked out our tool box. I have been harping about practicality for 5 years now, and it may be getting a little thin. TOUGH CRAP!!! I am going to keep harping, but not today.
Today I am going to speak to the folks who believe in the true value of traditional martial arts. For a long time now MMA guys are preaching that Boxing, Kickboxing,Wrestling and BJJ are the only thing that matter. They claim that in terms of actual ability to defend yourself, the core skills of MMA training are enough.
I have and always will call balderdash on that, but I am not going to go too far on that today. It has been claimed by MMA pundits that the MMA children of the future will be far superior to the children of the traditional martial arts. The claim is that while TMA kids are learning katas, forms and weapons, that MMA kids will be learning core skills from the start that will help keep them safe. Now, I have already talked about how MMA training does not, and has not addressed the idea of weapons and gang attacks, so I wont go C-walking on that dead horse.
My main contention is that MMA training makes its fighter incomplete and predictable. While MMA can instill some practical skills, it is from a very limited tool-box. Those SELF-IMPOSED limits, can make an MMA practitioner easier to beat.
The one reason that I began to learn other martial arts skill sets is to be able to keep my opponent off balance. In the old days, the BKF was very good and making, and then breaking rhythms to make their attacks faster, and more effective. I am a good striker, better than most in fact. But against another skilled striker, that fight is going to a clinch and possiblly the ground. There is no wisdom in doing what you do best, IF it is also what your opponent does best. Have the skill sets to be able to do what they do WORST. Sometimes that is hard to discern, but it can be done with training.
Example, I once sparred against a skilled Muay Thai boxer. As a Kenpo guy, I had better footwork. While he was tough, determined and in shape, he was like a turtle on his back. I landed a lot of chasse styled kicks to keep him off balance ( Thanks Savate.) I was also able to land ax kicks and spinning back kicks pretty easily. They dont train them at all, so they dont have an effective defense against them. Back fists were working well, and even the ability to get in and out tournament style was working well. I was using a modified downward block to break up his plum clinch, and an upward block to keep him from clasping his hands together.
Long story short, keep practicing your hook kicks, inverted punches and side thrust kicks. While it may be all in a day's work to us, to some it is like trying to understand Sanskrit, they just dont get it :)
This may seem a little odd, but I am going to go for it anyway. See folks, it is time we checked out our tool box. I have been harping about practicality for 5 years now, and it may be getting a little thin. TOUGH CRAP!!! I am going to keep harping, but not today.
Today I am going to speak to the folks who believe in the true value of traditional martial arts. For a long time now MMA guys are preaching that Boxing, Kickboxing,Wrestling and BJJ are the only thing that matter. They claim that in terms of actual ability to defend yourself, the core skills of MMA training are enough.
I have and always will call balderdash on that, but I am not going to go too far on that today. It has been claimed by MMA pundits that the MMA children of the future will be far superior to the children of the traditional martial arts. The claim is that while TMA kids are learning katas, forms and weapons, that MMA kids will be learning core skills from the start that will help keep them safe. Now, I have already talked about how MMA training does not, and has not addressed the idea of weapons and gang attacks, so I wont go C-walking on that dead horse.
My main contention is that MMA training makes its fighter incomplete and predictable. While MMA can instill some practical skills, it is from a very limited tool-box. Those SELF-IMPOSED limits, can make an MMA practitioner easier to beat.
The one reason that I began to learn other martial arts skill sets is to be able to keep my opponent off balance. In the old days, the BKF was very good and making, and then breaking rhythms to make their attacks faster, and more effective. I am a good striker, better than most in fact. But against another skilled striker, that fight is going to a clinch and possiblly the ground. There is no wisdom in doing what you do best, IF it is also what your opponent does best. Have the skill sets to be able to do what they do WORST. Sometimes that is hard to discern, but it can be done with training.
Example, I once sparred against a skilled Muay Thai boxer. As a Kenpo guy, I had better footwork. While he was tough, determined and in shape, he was like a turtle on his back. I landed a lot of chasse styled kicks to keep him off balance ( Thanks Savate.) I was also able to land ax kicks and spinning back kicks pretty easily. They dont train them at all, so they dont have an effective defense against them. Back fists were working well, and even the ability to get in and out tournament style was working well. I was using a modified downward block to break up his plum clinch, and an upward block to keep him from clasping his hands together.
Long story short, keep practicing your hook kicks, inverted punches and side thrust kicks. While it may be all in a day's work to us, to some it is like trying to understand Sanskrit, they just dont get it :)
posted by Anthony, freestyle kenpo teacher | 12:46 PM
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