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Question of the Day: What's the most interesting small town you've visited in South Africa?
Self defense
- Thread starter Darkside
- Start date
No I didn’t. Sorry. I am usually quite good about replying.
I take your point, but there are many pragmatic issues wrapped-up in my advice. It is assumed that a person wants a life outside martial arts. To be utterly lethal at 15 paces takes lots and lots of practice. No time for a life outside the dojo.
#1 The training for a grappling style lends itself to other areas (falling, for e.g.)
#2 If called upon to fight (a barroom brawl?) you don’t want to kill or cause permanent damage. You cannot pull punches or kicks (striking styles) if you are under stress and operating on instinct.
#3 A grappling style makes much more information available. For example: medical and acu-puncture texts give useful information on pressure points. A knowledge of levers is useful if you intend using an opponents momentum against him. Etc.
And so on.
A previous post
Not only strikes or grappling (one dimensional) but the emphasis is on grappling.
All very good points except this one
My main strength is my striking and i train 2-3 times a week for about 90-120mins each time after work and i still have a full active life outside the gym.
In that time i train my standing and ground work and i can fight both just as effectively it is just my preferrence to stand and bang until my opponent takes it to the ground, this has seem to be successful for me so far.
I do agree if a person is only willing to learn one style then grappling would be the best it can help nullify an opponents speed or strength advantage and does have other various benefits, i am just offering to the table that there are options to learn all aspects of the game as i do
My main strength is my striking and i train 2-3 times a week for about 90-120mins each time after work and i still have a full active life outside the gym.
In that time i train my standing and ground work and i can fight both just as effectively it is just my preferrence to stand and bang until my opponent takes it to the ground, this has seem to be successful for me so far.
I do agree if a person is only willing to learn one style then grappling would be the best it can help nullify an opponents speed or strength advantage and does have other various benefits, i am just offering to the table that there are options to learn all aspects of the game as i do
smokey
Honorary Master
Striking is all well and good, but the reason grappling (and general pressure point techniques) is superior is that you needn't be buff to do it. I remember talking to a friend of my dad's who is an Aikido sensei who said that as most martial artists age - they tend to the same technique no matter where they started. Making the most impact with the fewest moves possible. It's the perils of aging that you will naturally become weaker and thus tend to rely less on strength than on other things. Just a thought...
Geriatrix
Executive Member
That just sounded like the tagline of every Tai chi chuan book on self defence.
But its true though, some friends of mine are at a Wing chun place and apparently their grandmaster looks like he's doing tai chi or some strange fluid dance when sparring and throwing people around. No hardness or aggression at all.
You should read up on Yang Luchan, the creator of the Yang variant of Tai Chi Chuan. He was a small and skinny guy but he was considered unbeatable and he was renowned for his soft and efficient fighting style.
He was so good he was asked to be the official martial arts instructor for the emperors sons and his personal guards.
He could apparently easily throw and knock out people twice his size and age with what seemed to be no effort at all.
Good point! It’s also why it’s so good for women (strength). In an attempted rape, grappling will be the style. A knowledge of some pressure points and grappling moves will help (as well, if you are squeamish, violence can be adjusted). Some strikes are also useful but the male (assuming male) has few strike disabling targets. Everything is protected by bone! The groin area, the stomach, the throat and the eyes are the only viable targets. The groin and the eyes are instinctively protected. The stomach is not disabling enough. That only leaves the throat. There are some strike moves for the throat but they could well be lethal.
Geriatrix
Executive Member
So how was it then?
Did they kill you with the horse stance and bunny hops?
Did they kill you with the horse stance and bunny hops?
shadow_man
Executive Member
Wing Chun doesn't have a horse stance - thats Shaolin
.We have 'Goat Riding Stance' as a basic training stance
I'd be interested to know how it was too, thats my old Wing Chun school, awesome bunch of people and good instruction.
J
Geriatrix
Executive Member
Wing Chun doesn't have a horse stance - thats Shaolin
We have 'Goat Riding Stance' as a basic training stance
I'd be interested to know how it was too, thats my old Wing Chun school, awesome bunch of people and good instruction.
J
Goat Riding Stance, ooh yes. That's just as fun. Do you wing chun guys do crab walking and cossed legs walking as well?
Ok so i went for the class last night ... Awsum people Realy cool Trainer... but me hiting the air and not a team mate 
was not for me... I went to a MMA gym directly afterwards and its defnitly what im gona be doing ! I like everything bout MMA !!
was not for me... I went to a MMA gym directly afterwards and its defnitly what im gona be doing ! I like everything bout MMA !!Geriatrix
Executive Member
Ok so i went for the class last night ... Awsum people Realy cool Trainer... but me hiting the air and not a team mate
Cool, have fun!
Pity you're not in Joburg, there's a fight tonight at the W.Sisulu hall. Pretty big one.
Ok so i went for the class last night ... Awsum people Realy cool Trainer... but me hiting the air and not a team mate
Great stuff
you won't go wrong, it's not the end-all, there isn't any. But you'll be sure to pick up a variety of useful fighting skills as well as getting in shape.
Just don't let it change you, i've seen many guys misinterprate a feeling of fitness and new-found confidence for arrogance and an excuse to fight.
all the best and enjoy
Definitely can, its up to you to realise that with great power comes even greater responsibility..rofl..couldn't resist
anyway, but ya, you will, not necessarily to fight, but there would be a natural curiosity to see how your training measures up and a want to test it.
Maturity means realising that and responsibility means always keeping it in check.
You seem like a nice non-testosterone driven oke, so just enjoy.
Are you in Cape Town, i could recommend you a place i trained. In fact i need to get back in.
shadow_man
Executive Member
Ok so i went for the class last night ... Awsum people Realy cool Trainer... but me hiting the air and not a team mate
Got to start small - they are one of the few schools I know of that do full contact - but they want you to wait first and learn. I gave someone two black eyes last time I was there
Why does nobody want to take the baby steps. There is no shortcut to becoming the badass fighter you are dreaming of. MMA do bagwork etc and also hit the air. You need to learn to crawl before you can walk.
Best of luck to you.
J
shadow_man
Executive Member
Great stuff
you won't go wrong, it's not the end-all, there isn't any. But you'll be sure to pick up a variety of useful fighting skills as well as getting in shape.
Just don't let it change you, i've seen many guys misinterprate a feeling of fitness and new-found confidence for arrogance and an excuse to fight.
all the best and enjoy
The reason I don't like the MMA / kickboxing crowd all that much, way too keen to fight, no reserve, no spiritual side, just pure aggression. That is not good in an individual who has little or no self control.
J
Kloofvreter
Honorary Master
Got to start small - they are one of the few schools I know of that do full contact - but they want you to wait first and learn. I gave someone two black eyes last time I was there
Why does nobody want to take the baby steps. There is no shortcut to becoming the badass fighter you are dreaming of. MMA do bagwork etc and also hit the air. You need to learn to crawl before you can walk.
Best of luck to you.
J
The problem is not everyone can go to work the next day with black eyes.
The problem is not everyone can go to work the next day with black eyes.
Thats happened to plenty of times more when i was beggining out but even now i sometimes land up with a little shiner fortunately i have an awsome boss
i started sparring like my second session and yes i got chowed J but the nice thing is seeing your progress from those first sparring sessions to now