Why Contact Is Necessary

There are many theories on how Karate should be taught. When most start training in Karate, there is little contact and not a lot of impact training (hitting pads, bags, etc.). Students don't experience hitting and getting hit. The do a lot of light to no contact sparring and drills. This is OK, but they have to experience some contact (hitting and getting hit with some force) to be able to really understanding combat. Not everyone will have to get in the ring and fight, but as instructors we have do and then we have to use those experiences to give our students (especially those who will will never get the chance to compete) the proper perspective on fighting.

Age Is Not An Excuse

You are never to old to get out there and do something. Here are some 80 year olds doing their thing. So do yours. 80 year old hitting the bag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_U0uQ84vOo 80 year old competing in amateur boxing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHcm-iIyO7o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09a49s9dSd0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K42ibAYFpEo

Consistent Training Is Key

Why do you have trouble performing techniques in competition that you've practiced? Performing under the lights is different than at practice. In practice things work well because there is no pressure. Nobody is reacting and defending your attacks like their life depended on it. When you add pressure to something, if you aren't used to handling performance anxiety, you will fold. If one can do 25% of what is done in practice, he or she is in decent shape. If one can do 50%, then he or she will do very well. Do more than 50%, then you have a top performer or competitor. Only through consistent training can you hope to attain that above 25%. Waiting until the last minute to do anything won't cut it. You have to practice religiously to get any kind of result.

Will Floyd fight Manny?

I don't think Floyd will take on Paqquaio. Fighters fight for the sake of fighting. A true champion will fight the best opposition. In order to say that you are the best, you must beat the top fighters. I would like for there to be a tournament that puts the top guys in and they fight till one man stands. Do this once a year and then we can say that one guy is the best. I like this clip providing a good reason the two biggest names in boxing probably won't fight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pe4qbXylrE

Should Martial Arts Instructors Have Fight Experience?

Should Instructors have some experience in what they are teaching? Yes. If you go to a driving instructor you expect them to know how to drive. If you taking cooking lessons, you want to learn from a chef who has cooked. Unfortunately in martial arts, that is not always the case. Karate and Taekwondo students can get a black belt and go open a school. And unfortunately many of them can't punch their way through a wet paper bag. Now I'm not say you have to be a bad ass fighter. But, I would not come and learn from you if you've never done it. If all you've done is theory you're not going to know much more than the customer. So, no matter what you teach, make sure you have some experience in it.

Is Winning Most Important?

Is winning the most important thing to you? For some people it is. Is winning at all costs important? Is it how you play that's most important. I think that doing all that you can to prepare and giving an event your full effort is most important. Winning feels good but not if you didn't do your best. And many times you can find accept a loss with your head up if you know that you did you you could possibly do. Always remember than when one wins, the other has to lose.

Skip Some Rope

Jumping rope is something I do almost everyday. After injuries to both knees, I skip instead of run (occassionally I will run some hills or find a grassy area to jog). I will skip in rounds or keep moving for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. I mix it in, double unders, squat jumps, high knees, etc. and move around the gym (adding some footwork in). Here's a great clip of JT Van getting down with the rope showing how boxers use them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9Igbz487fQ&list=PL4Mb5fp5ywgKlBKAaYClkUCK3ckNaYDw0

Anthony Pettis On Taekwondo

When a lot of fightes think of Taekwondo they think of techniques that they feel are impractical and useless. They criticize this popular sport, but they have to realize that it is one of the most popular and practiced martial arts for a reason. Having been a competitor in Olympic Style TKD for years, I got lots of practice punching and kicking aganist and have been able to adapt those experiences into to other combat sports. There are a lot of fighters in professional Kickboxing and MMA that have backgrounds in TKD. Here's a clip of UFC Lightweight Champ, Anthony Pettis, talking about the influence of Taekwondo in his career as a mixed martial artist and his life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-ufRfalf4s

Tang Soo Do

The first martial art I ever studied was Tang Soo Do. From there I trained in several other disciplines. To this day I can still see the influence of this art in my techniques. I came across this video featuring some excellent Tang Soo Do stylist displaying incredible technique. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD4NLU5CKlc

Kill The Body And The Head Will Follow

In boxing, it is important to work the opponent's body. Hitting the body wears your opponent down and opens him up for head shots. Here's a clip of Iron Mike Tyson working his uppercut off of the body shot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1bkMtrPZwY