Clinch Sparring

Muay Thai is known for it's use of the clinch. To be able to fight and defend yourself in the clinch takes lots of practice. Thai fighters will knee spar sometimes 30 minutes in a training sessions. It is great exercises and will wear you. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I-cKLqQfC8&feature=related

Credible Coaches

They need to stop! I keep hearing of fight gyms with coaches who have no real experience. I get irritated at these "boxing" and "kickboxing" coaches who have almost no real fight experience, outside of a few amateur fights. This is B.S! A coach doesn't have to be a champion to teach, but a coach should have been a fighter and have years of training and experience as a competitor. So, if you come across a twenty something year old instructor and you can validate his or her experience, don't spend your money.

U.S. Shidokan Open 1996

Here's some "Best of U.S. Shidokan" action from 1996/1997. Some good stuff that aired on ESPN.

Part I
http://trammellfitnessmartialarts.blogspot.com/2011/06/martial-arts-action-stars.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmHINhyIQ5o&feature=related

M-1 Global

When people think of Mixed Martial Arts, the first organization that comes to mind is the UFC. M-1 is very big in Europe and puts on big shows too. There are a lot of stars out there from different countries mixing it up. Check out this highlight video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBFFKAzSsCo&feature=related

Fighters of Shidokan Atlanta

Shidokan Atlanta was started officially in 2002. I became a member of U.S. Shidokan in 2000 and asked U.S. Shidokan president Shihan Eddie Yoshimura to start a branch in Atlanta. Since then, I have trained fighters to fight in almost every combat sport there is. Here are a few of my students testing themselves. Win, lose, or draw they learn and their experiences are educational to the dojo.

Phil Sehenuk (fighting in a Shidokan Triathlon rules fight Chicago: Karate, Kickboxing, MMA and Pro Boxing)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP8nG5YygmM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKV826ATEPk

Jaral Bowman (fighting MMA and Sanshou)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQNM16DVIWc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrF7SbW5PN8

Camron Wilthshire (in the 2006 Shidokan World Open Triathlon Rules)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsCAspbI6sA

Joshua White (in MMA and Judo)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqCzpJwqueI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pu7y6N7x3Y

Quincy Sutton (MMA)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UTLzVR_nag

Kata Magic

I've discussed Bunkai (the application of Kata) in previous posts. I am always seeing new "Experts" in the field of Kata. Some present some decent material, but a lot are still reaching. I will argue that full contact (in a combat sport if you have no real life fight experience) is the only to learn how to fight. Despite what the experts present, they forget that fighting of any kind requires: timing, reaction, emotions, and reflex. Now they will say that they have drills and that the techniques presented can be done without seriously hurting your training partner, etc. An amateur boxer or kickboxer with less than a year of experience will usually beat a student of another martial art (i.e. Karate or Tae Kwon Do) with a few years or more experience in a scrap (I say this from experience training boxers and karate fighters). Now I am not being anti-Kata. Kata is based on a principles of combat and they give history to what Karateka do. The applications given in most cases become a little overcooked. The best learning method is to spar or compete. Through sparring you can have a non-compliant opponent and you can learn to deal with strikes, throws, submissions, etc. I teach Kata and enjoy it tremendously and I teach them to my students. But, I emphasize sparring and impact training (hitting things). My guys and gals get out there and compete in all combat sports to experience the adrenaline, the pain, the fatigue and the ups and down of fighting. Then they can apply this to their Kata (not the other way around). So, don't be mislead by the Bunkai theorists who tell you that sport fighting is real enough. Notice they never have any fight experience they can show you. Listen to the Kata guy with knock outs and tap outs.

The Side Kick

The side kick is an effective technique that you may not see a lot in combat sports. You will mainly see the front and round kick as the most utilized of kicks in competition. The reason being is that you can keep your body square when using the kicks. The side kick requires the body to turn sideways and the chances of getting countered are greater. But when timed, it is a very effective technique. The best time to throw the side kick is when your opponent attacks with a technique the squares his body up (i.e. a right hand). Offensively you can throw the kick into your opponent's guard to knock him off balance. Here are a couple of side kicks knock outs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_ekaP_EO1I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-03TpERPtI