Martial Arts

Why does it have to be Asian? There is savate, among others.

What others?
The noble art of self defense according to the Queensbury rules ( sorry for any spelling errors, I ad-libbed that one!)
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #102
Stig, there were at one time a great many European unarmed combat disciplines. Many of them were taught in conjunction with skills with swords, staffs and other weapons. I believe that with the eastern respect for historical tradition, the martial arts of that culture have been remember far better.

There is a whole website dedicated to research on the subject, but I cant remember it right now.
 
Absolutely, but to my mind there is several good reasons for why they went extinct and the eastern arts filled the gap.
One being that we developed good guns, instead of sticking with an outdated matchlock gun, like the Japanese.

Also, I was being sarcastic:D
 
Absolutely.

Pin a fellow with both shoulders touching the mat and you win a price.
Very combat like !

Like I said, there are good reasons why the asian styles have taken over.
 
Absolutely.

Pin a fellow with both shoulders touching the mat and you win a price.
Very combat like !.

That is not the only way to win a wrestling match. Submission seems more combat like, you just don't contemplate killing your opponent after they give up.
 
Well, I've been in it for about 3 months now. First test is Nov 22. I really enjoy the workout, even after doing tree work. The stretching seems to be what I really needed.

I have a question for you experienced guys though, especially climbers. When doing sidekicks and roundhouse kicks I get pain in my hips. It's always gone by the next day but I don't want to push it. Is this poor technique on my part? my age? or too many years in a climbing saddle? I consider myself pretty flexible, especially now that I'm stretching again.

Any thoughts or suggestions?
 
I thought I might be pushing too hard and probably because I don't have the technique perfected.
 
If it hurts the technique could be wrong..or your body might not be ready to do that technique. Is the hurt from doing the technique in the air or hitting a bag/pad?

If you try to do a kick too high you can exceed your flexibility and get sore or tear/strain tissue...same can happen if your technique is not shaped correctly.

Get an instructor to evaluate your technique in terms of the pain you are feeling. And, yep....stretching is your friend. But be sure you have the proper balance between strength and flexibility...too much flexibility without proper strength to protect the joint can be big trouble.
 
The higher I try to go the more it hurts. It doesn't feel like muscle, more like bone.(joint?) I don't think it matters whether it's air or bag at least not like the height does. I'll check with an instructor. Seems they are always busy with something though.
 
Listen to your body..it is talking to you. A murmur of discomfort is OK...pain is telling you to modify what you are doing...either the technique or the range of motion where you are trying to use it. Nothing magical about kicking high...way over-rated...Hollywood stuff. The higher you kick the more you compromise your balance and your power...and the more targets you make available to your enemy.
 
The higher you kick the more you compromise your balance and your power...and the more targets you make available to your enemy.

Unless you are REALLY good at it, but few are.

I think you are pressing yourself too hard on the high kicks.
At your age you can't expect the hipjoints to get more flexible unless you ease them into it over a long period.
Old guys who are really flexible and can kick high, like myself, have most likely been real limber in their youth and then just kept it up.
And Gary is right,high kicks mostly work in Hollywood, though it does feel good when you sneak one by the opponents guard and knock him on his butt:)
 
I went tonight. I kept my kicks lower and no pain. :thumbup:

I don't have trouble with high front kicks. Just side and roundhouse so far.
 
There you geaux...your body spoke, you listened and it sounds like y'all can get along. If you do as Stig said and slowly work on that flexibility you can slowly raise your kicks. As the head monk used to say, "Patience, Grasshopper".
 
I guess I'm a dancer!

I'd say offhand that about 80% of the knockouts I've scored have been with a Mawashi geri ( roundhouse kick?) to the head.

It is simply a question of timing.
Any tecnique that you truly master, you should be able to deliver without conscious thought.
When the opening appears, WHAM!

That is how I hit with the jodan mawashi geri.
It just happens.
I don't plan on hitting people in the head, but sooner or later they lower their guard, and my leg goes to their head.

No disrespect intended, Butch.
But how many days did you put in at that dojo.

I have my 40 year aniversary in -14, and most of those years I've been at the dojo 3 days a week.
When I was a born again karate kid ( 18-30 years) I did 5 days a week, which seems crazy to me today!
My first 15 years was in Kyokushin karate, look it up and then tell me I don't know what works.
After fighting for 38 years and teaching cops and prison guards for 20, I think I have a pretty accurate idea.

But again, notice that I say that high kicks only work well for those who truly master them.
 
Back
Top