Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Why Martial Arts Need Combat Sports

I was looking at some debates on Martial Arts Vs. Traditional Arts. Some believe that martial arts become sports when you create tournaments, rules, etc. They see it as crippling the martial art. Martial arts are supposed to be spiritual and meditative. They are for expressing creativity. Combat sports are for competiton and this supposedly takes something away from the respect and discipline of traditional martial arts. I disagree. Combat sports provide a laboratory for martial artist to experiment. Martial Arts come out of war. Techniques used to kill can't be practiced safely. Most things you can do to another human being. You can grapple, punch, kick, choke, lock joints, etc. against a non-compliant person trying to do the same to you and live to tell about it. Combat sports allow you to experience things that drills and practice can't give you, but they can add to those drills and practice giving you a realistic view of combat.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Age Is Just A Number

It's never too late to get out there and compete. People use age as an excuse. There is something out there for you if you want it. Let's look at some clips of young/older folks getting down. 60 year old karateka sparring https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lds0YhkUsHw 83 years old boxer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DictR1gA_F4 elderly woman doing karate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YiGMRp-7B4

Monday, April 28, 2014

How Tough Are You?

I had a great time this past weekend in Birmingham AL, at World Oyama Karate's America's Cup. If you've never seen bare knuckle karate, please do. It is a rough and tumble sport that forces nonstop action and is truly a test of spirit. I even saw a thai boxer try his hand at the sport and finished third. It is always cool to see fighters try other disciplines, especially knockdown. Bare knuckle punches to ribs, liver and solar plexus; knee and shin kicks to the legs, body and head. Go watch some knockdown karate fights. I promise you will be impressed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtNqxlbOB9g

Friday, April 25, 2014

Top Injuries in Boxing

I came across this video showing injuries in pro boxing. Cuts and bruises are common. A little discoloration and swelling too. But check this out. You will be amazed at the injuries that happen when guys are fighting for millions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwsLWRpoWhQ

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

A Champion Mindset

What does it take to be a champion? Is it the better conditioned athlete? Is it the one with the better technqiue, supplements, etc. No, it is the fighter with the strongest will and desire to win. At the elite level, everybody is good. Everybody has skill, technique, game plans, etc. What it boils down to is the will to win. Not everybody has this. Beyond fatique, pain, and fear is the desire to do whatever it takes to win. You have to believe that even under the worst circumstance you can and will win. Once you can do that, you are on your way to becoming a champion.

Monday, April 21, 2014

49 Years Old Boxing Champ Bernard Hopkins

Formerly the "Executioner", but now the "Alien", Bernard Hopkins unified the World Heavy Championship Belts this past weekend by defeating Bebuit Shumenov. Having wathed B-hop for 20 plus years, he is inspiring. He shows discipline and a mastery of his craft. It will be interesting to see what he does as there are more difficult challenges out there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6oGlmAJOBM

Friday, April 18, 2014

Group Fights (Team Vs. Team At The Same Time)

Here's a crazy sport where teams go at it at the same time. As one person is elimated, one team will gradually group up on the last man. Stomping, kicking a downed opponent, and headbutts are allowed. Check this out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqcWgQcBi-I

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Competition Is Necessary

Last post, I talked about sparring illusions. I said that because you think you are good in practice, don' assume you will be in reality. Competition is needed to see if your stuff really works. I was talking to my buddy and he said that when one is in position to lose something, it because chaotic. What this means is that you place yourself in position where you might lose something (energy, money, some blood, etc.). In practice the environment is much safer. You can stop at anytime. When you have to compete in front of a large audience, you are less likely to stop. Competition makes your reach down deep and push further than you would. So, if somebody tells you differently, I can assure that they haven't competed. Test yourself.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

The Illusion Of Sparring

Does being good in the gym mean that you are a badass? No. Just because you fight competitively in the gym environment is that it's not the real thing. Good sparring is useful but it's not the same as a real match. The adrenaline, the intent, the intensity, etc. are all different. Winning in the gym is not real. In the gym you have on more safety gear (i.e. headgear, bigger gloves) than you wear in competition. The desire to win increases. In sports, you have the guys who can make the shot or catch the ball in practice, but they drop the ball in the game. Understand that sparring is a training tool, just like bag and pad work. Know that you have to compete to improve your true fighting ability.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Shin Breaks

It happened to Anderson Silva and we just saw it happen to Tyrone Spong in Glory aganist Gohkan Saki. Both of these champions suffered from shin breaks throwing hard low kicks into their opponents block. Throwing a powerful kick at the right angle into a knee can cause this. So, when throwing low kicks set them up first. Let them come behind a hand technqiue or catch them while moving. Here's a clip of Spong's recent injury. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR4I50VYtgk

Friday, April 11, 2014

The Uppercut

Nothing hurts like a good uppercut. It lands unexpected and sends a shockwave through your head. It can knock you out or position you for a follow up (cross, or hook). Check this clip out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgnSxF9wQ4g

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Fighting Looks A Lot Different From The Outside

As in all sports, you have side line coaches. Fans who criticize the players and coaches. When watching fights with other, somebodies always criticizing fighters (especially the one losing). Sure we can see mistakes and wonder why these athletes aren't correcting them. We can say that don't have this or can't do that. I always say, "What can you do? Can you do better"? Like the old saying, "Everybody has a plan until they get hit". If all fighers fought perfectly, then no one would lose. Beyond techniques, there's mental toughness, heart, spirit, etc. There are things that you can see that go in determining a winner.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Jean Yves Theriault Fight

You gotta watch the Iceman (before Chuck Lidell), Jean Yves Theriault do his thing. He was a dominant fighter for about a decade back in the day of PKA kickboxing. He had great hands, powerful kicks and put them together in killer combinations. Check out the clip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr9cztUyPdw

Monday, April 7, 2014

Buffaloe Karate

Every once in a while I find updates on young Karate, Christian Buffaloe and his father, Kenny. The Buffaloes contribute much to Karate and this young man is doing big things. He's competed and won internationally. Here's a recent interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdmT2Vef3H0

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Boxer Vs Grappler Debate

Over the years we have seen heard the debate on who would win between a boxer and a grappler. In a sporting event most likely the grappler. In a bar fight or initial start of a fight were the first punch lands, most like the boxer. Or better yet in a boxing rules match, the boxer. Understand that boxers don't grapple. They punch and they punch better than most. We've all seen the James Toney vs. Randy Couture MMA fight. Toney was out of his element as the cage is a grappling based sport. In a boxing bout, Toney would win by KO. In looking at some of the bouts of over the hill boxers fighting K-1 and and Japanese wrestlers, we see the boxer enter the ring with his gloves and boots on using boxing against the kickboxer or gloveless wrester. Obviously it was for a quick buck. Being that boxing is a sport that focuses on punching, you will never see the wrestler, mma, or kickboxer fight the over the hill boxer in a boxing match. Why? Because they would most likely get knocked out. The debate is stupid as these sports are as different as International Football (soccer) to American Football. Check this out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs1GCEJsEiw If you are a boxer, have the kickboxer and grappler fight you in a boxing match afterwards.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Pad Work Nonsense

Having spent many years in boxing gyms I've had the opportunity to watch some of the best boxers and coaches do their thing. Every once and a while I go to fights to work a fighter's corner. I watch coaches warm their fighters up with elaborate mit combinations. There are guys out their making money with pad work seminars teaching their system. When I watch good professional coaches train, it's not complex. If you watch fights or fight yourself you will know that combinations are not complex. Fighter's throw basic stuff. Combinations are usually 2 to 3 techniques per delivery. All this punch, roll, slip, bob, pull, etc. is pretty, but it's not like that at all. Keep it basic and realistic.