my 2 cents.....I haven't had time to read every word here, but since this is what I teach for a living I can probably give a point or two...
Basically all hand to hand fighting falls under grappling or striking. As a complete fighting system, besides being in excellent condition, one must know some from both approaches. Some will swear Ju Jitsu is the best, until they are attacked by five or six gys, then they realize they should have taken some striking training as well. When someone rushes in past a strikers range it will go to the ground in a hurry.
I have heard so many people say "I trained for a few months in this style and I know a little about this style usually no nil. Martial arts is not something you perfect to a fighting degree overnight. No magic pills in MA.
As is Boxing, wrestling, YKD and even Ju jitsu...Just because a defense has a sport venue in no way detracts from the actual art itself.
(Boxing) It is limited but when you consider that nearly everyone you may encounter has no martial training, knowing how to box will save the day more than not. (save for weapons being used) Most "civillians" may know a dirty trick or two and may be in fair shape, but when it comes down to the brass tacks I'd go with a trained boxer.
I would not exactly classify Bruce Lee as the greatest Martial Artist of all time. He was a movie star. He was not a professional fighter. I am sure that Billy Blanks would have no problem cleaning the floor with Bruce Lee in a street fight. Most of what Martial Artists do in movies (like flying reverse crescent kicks and spinning back flips) would be completely useless in a street fight.
Most would. To say that he was not a professional fighter is to say that he did not get paid to fight, had he thought it worth of the arts he would have. He did have plenty of pro-fighters (as I mentioned Ali was among them) who did go and train and take advice from him. As far a Billy Blanks mopping the floor with Lee, I'd take that bet times ten. You didn't notice that Bruce never used flying reverse crescent kicks in his films?
(size and strength) Huh? The essence in TKD are , control, accuracy, speed and power.
I have been fighting nearly all my life. Street fighting and martial arts fighting. I am soon testing for my 5th dan (kukkiwon). I teach that speed IS power. How else are you going to get a 12 year old 80 lb boy to kick through multiple boards? Strength, though being the greater of them, is only valuble if you can move that strength around. Otherwise it is strong like a rock, rather than a waterfall.
Post# 29.....Excellent! Your name isn't "Steve" is it? j/k.]
I'm sure I will get attacked for this comment but.........
No reason to attack you. You are right on the money. It's true as much as not.
I know blackbelts that though they have trained for years in a controlled enviroment, would get the crap beat out of them by anyone sitting at a bar. Those schools allowed those blackbelts to be promoted and even may have taught the good technique. But they failed to instill the spirit of the warrior into them.
Then there are blackbelts that train and even compete, which helps to a degree but sparring has rules, a point forgotten by many who never train for street attacks.
Then there are the blackbelts, (some color belts) who train hard in class, compete seriously and condition and train under me for street fighting. I also bring in friend from grappling arts and they train with then on a part time basis. I instill the heart of the warrior into ALL my students, nearly from the minute they walk in the door. Without the heart to fight, one may as well lay done his weapon.
(MA's study how not to fight) A MA DOES study to fight. In a serious student, one will see that everything they do, (sleep, weights, diet,etc; is to become a very good fighter.) It is only when one has trained to their potential that they then know that if they must fight. that they not only can, but will. The number of encounters they have on the streets declines as the student walks with more purpose, talks with more confidence.
reply to ringo:
I started training in 1975 and it was VERY hard to even endure the workouts. We trained on an asphalt lot in the summer and a small schoolroom in the winter. The only "sparring gear" we had was a mouthpiece and a cup. Yes, we conditioned for fighting, drilled for fighting AND we fought. Little guys fought big guys, multiple attackers, just about as real as we get without actually fighting full-out. I used to rune a mile every day barefoot in one inch rock. The calouses(sp?) on my feet would tear well-worn socks as I put them on.
(street tactics) However, that sort of training I reserve only for my blackbelts. For nearly all my color belts train hard, condition hard, but I don't allow them to step onto the mat, save for some simple drills I involve them in.
I still myself will grapple on my mat, (no use knocking me out of my chair to grapple so I just start there.) Some of my better students best me now but I will often do something as simple as a wrist-lock so they tap out even though they are on top of me.
I don't think that the "biggest" thing you can learn from martrial arts is how to avoid fighting by using your head. Sure that is a good skill, and one I myself have employed many times and urge my students to do so. I always tell them that I defeat my enemy by making them my friend.
There are just too many benifits to MA training (of course I am talking several years, not several months) to be narrowed down to "How is the best way to defend yourself?" It's what kept me alive 9 years ago when my opponent was a pole and harsh weather. It's what has kept my passion and spirit to accomplish my goals. It has become entirely who I am. I live the life of a martial artist, something that is so often not discovered easily even by blackbelts.
A black belt means you are no longer a beginner, nothing more, and from what I have learned that has been true for thousands of years. Anyone who thinks (or thought) that a Black Belt meant you were a Master is or was mistaken, a victem of hear-say or Hollywood. Achiving Black means that you have learned the "basics of the art" and are ready to BEGIN training, not advanced, but beginning training. Black is the beginning, not the end. It is a milestone to be proud of, but pride can get you hurt.
Excellent! I could not have stated it any better. When someone completes painting a picture, are they an artist? Maybe, but not a master.
dedicating much of my life to martial arts is the greatest choice i have ever made, and would never do anything to change it even if i could. =)
Here! Here! I imagine it's like religion. Staying on the path of being a martial artist is the one goal that allows me to attain many other goals.
One bad thing I see in Martial arts is the people in small communities teaching it. Usually its some guy who took very limited lessons himself teaching a bunch of kids who unfortunately don't know the difference. I have yet to see a fight won by a local guy using martial arts. Usually they get their butt kicked in a bar for bragging that they are an "expert" in something. Im sure there are experts in the Martial arts but I feel they are few and far between.
I'm in a small community. I have a few adult blackbelts that work in either security, law enforcement or some other field where confidence and defense skills are used hand in hand. As far as "I have yet to see a fight won by a local guy using martial arts." I coud introduce you to scores just in my state who could (though they wouldn't) easily dispel any notion you've learned that a bar brawler is a better fighter than someone who trains to fight. Even with safety in my class we fight hard. In the last year alone there have been two LOC's (KO"s) two broken hands, a broken nose several blackeyes and a severely dislocated shoulder. By and large, most bar brawlers who often make that claim, would never go to a MA training hall to look for a fight.
NEVER fight a drunk in public.
It is a no win. If they do beat the crap out of the guy then all they were was some "expert" who beat the crap out of a drunk. If they lose, they are now known as that "expert" that got clocked by "Bubba".
I had to delete some really goods post and used few quotes. Hopefully anyone reading will be up enough in this thread to discern who and what I was addressing.
