Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

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Takuan
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#921

Post by Takuan »

Nice video! We use the jut sao in a similar fashion in Jeet Kune Do. In close range, a double jut sao usually leads to a head butt, a Thai clinch, or an elbow (where the elbow is rolled over the top of the jut sao). On the outside, it makes a good entry into close range. Here’s Burton Richardson using it to set up a head butt from boxing range:



Burton also posted this video on Facebook of Kazushi Sakuraba using a single jut sao in boxing range (against what looks like Ken Shamrock): https://m.facebook.com/JKDUnlimited/vi ... emE0eU4V87
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#922

Post by James Y »

Takuan wrote:
Mon Aug 22, 2022 6:28 am
Nice video! We use the jut sao in a similar fashion in Jeet Kune Do. In close range, a double jut sao usually leads to a head butt, a Thai clinch, or an elbow (where the elbow is rolled over the top of the jut sao). On the outside, it makes a good entry into close range. Here’s Burton Richardson using it to set up a head butt from boxing range:



Burton also posted this video on Facebook of Kazushi Sakuraba using a single jut sao in boxing range (against what looks like Ken Shamrock): https://m.facebook.com/JKDUnlimited/vi ... emE0eU4V87

Thank you for sharing that and posting those videos, Takuan. Great stuff!

Jim
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#923

Post by James Y »

Tom Bleecker Discusses His Impressions of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do

This is a really good video. He is 100% correct in that the personal skills of greats like Bruce Lee, Muhammad Ali, and Ed Parker (the founder of American Kenpo) were uniquely their own, and that trying to imitate their way of doing it will not work for someone else in the same way as it did for them.

I also agree that for the fighting aspect of self-defense, you do not need an entire martial arts curriculum. You only need a few simple, basic skills that you have trained and developed to become instinctive. The artistic aspect, to me, is more to maintain interest, and develop aspects like better balance, coordination, etc., etc.

My Kenpo teacher, Parker Linekin's sensei was Brian Adams (NOT the singer, LOL), who had studied Kenpo directly under Ed Parker. Brian Adams had also trained in Jeet Kune Do in L.A. under Bruce Lee and Dan Inosanto.

Although I was a Kenpo black belt back in the day, I never liked the Kenpo self-defense techniques and forms. I'm certain, as Mr. Bleecker says, that Ed Parker could make them work, but I never liked that the person modeling the attack comes in with one move, usually an unrealistic step-through straight punch, then stands there frozen while you do half a dozen to a dozen strikes. When we free-sparred, it was a combination of kickboxing, takedowns, and some 'sneaky' stuff, like groin slaps, scoop kicks to the groin, etc. Nobody actually sparred anything like the Kenpo self-defense sequences. I did them because they were necessary to advance in the curriculum, but TBH, I never thought of the SD techniques as something I could have relied on for real.

At this point in my own development, although I've mainly been a Choy Lee Fut practitioner for the past 29 years, I've amalgamated whatever has worked for me since the '70s into what I do, and whittled everything down into my own way of doing it. Not to be unique or special, but because it works for me. When I taught CLF back in the early 2000s, I taught it the way I learned it, by the book. Because before you chip away the "non-essential" aspects, you must first have something to chip away from. And that will be different for every individual. I wouldn't teach anyone else what I do now, because it's my own way of doing things that work for me; which may or may not work the same for somebody else.

As far as Bruce Lee's grappling, he'd studied some Judo and regarded it highly. I posted a video about it in this thread awhile back. Decades ago, I read a quote from Bruce Lee, where he admitted that he wouldn't have stood a chance on the ground against Hayward Nishioka (one of the Judo men who trained with Bruce).

https://youtu.be/hufj65L7NCw

Jim
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#924

Post by James Y »

Renowned Psychic Channels Bruce Lee in 1982

I also posted this in the 'Unusual, and/or Paranormal Events' thread. For those not familiar with Bruce Lee, he died in 1973. The psychic who did the channeling had no prior knowledge of Bruce Lee.

https://youtu.be/GjifF8lHWz8

Jim
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#925

Post by James Y »

"The Greatest Knockout in Women's Boxing History!" - Ann Wolfe vs Vonda Ward

And also one of the scariest. Vonda's eyes rolled completely back in her head. And it looks like they stayed that way for a good while.

https://youtu.be/EG8RAN4_fdI

Jim
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#926

Post by James Y »

Steve Muhammad (formerly: Steve Sanders): "The Fastest Hands in Karate"

(Video Below)

Steve Muhammad earned his 1st-degree black belt in Kenpo Karate under Dan Inosanto. Note: Many people forget that before Dan Inosanto met Bruce Lee and studied Jeet Kune Do, Inosanto was already a 1st-degree black belt in Kenpo under Ed Parker.

Steve Muhammad was given the unoffocial title of "The Fastest Hands in Karate." I've long known that Bruce Lee was well aware of Steve Muhammad (then Steve Sanders) back in the 1960s. Bruce had said that Steve's hands were "extremely fast."

As to whether Bruce Lee picked up all his ideas on speed, hand positioning, and footwork by watching Steve Muhammad, I have no doubt he incorporated some aspects, but Steve wasn't the only source Bruce borrowed from to develop his own natural speed. Bruce learned and adapted from MANY sources. For example, Bruce Lee developed his 'initial burst speed' footwork from his older brother Peter Lee, who was a world-class fencer in his youth.

Steve Muhammad was the first great Kenpo-style point Karate fighter of all time, and there were many, especially here in CA. However, he never fought, much less defeated, Ed Parker, as the video's narrator says. Ed Parker was a pioneering Kenpo Karate teacher and a tournament promoter (Ed Parker's Long Beach Internationals), and was NEVER a competitor. And Ed Parker was Steve Muhammad's GRAND teacher (the teacher of his teacher).

Steve Muhammad made a brief appearance in Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon (1973) as Jim Kelly's character's Karate teacher. The scene was filmed at the Black Karate Federation dojo in Los Angeles. Steve Muhammad co-founded the Black Karate Federation in the 1960s, which produced many excellent fighters over many years, which included Donnie Williams (who also briefly appeared in Enter the Dragon as Steve Muhammad's assistant instructor), Carl Scott, and point fighter/early UFC fighter Ray Wizard.

https://youtu.be/q0a2cQ8TnMA

Jim
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#927

Post by James Y »

'The Night I Met Bruce Lee' (by Chuck Sullivan)

The key to this is that Bruce Lee was a genius when it came to the analysis and performance of martial arts and physical movement. PLUS, unlike some prodigies in various fields, he actually worked hard at studying and practicing it. There are rare individuals like that in all types of fields.

Do I consider Bruce Lee a demi-god of martial arts? No. He was simply highly intelligent, and a rare natural physical talent who could dissect and analyze martial arts in a way that few people could or can.

https://youtu.be/h15XlurG1Fo

Jim
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#928

Post by VooDooChild »

Just found out about Gene Lebell.
That guy was one of the best martial artist that a lot of people never heard of.

I like that he was about the only person on the planet who could say hes thrown Bruce Lee around.
"Rome's greatest contribution to mathematics was the killing of Archimedes."
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#929

Post by James Y »

VooDooChild wrote:
Sat Aug 27, 2022 7:04 pm
Just found out about Gene Lebell.
That guy was one of the best martial artist that a lot of people never heard of.

I like that he was about the only person on the planet who could say hes thrown Bruce Lee around.

Thanks for posting about that.

Gene LeBell was a legend in the martial arts world and the pro wrestling world. But like many of the old-school "show" wrestlers, LeBell had very real fighting ability. He understood both show business fighting AND real fighting. I first heard of him back in 1972, not as a martial artist, but as a pro wrestling announcer who interviewed wrestlers in the weekly TV wrestling shows from L.A.'s Olympic Auditorium. Even back then, the other announcers called him "Judo" Gene LeBell. He was also a stuntman in countless movies and TV shows for decades. I only started becoming aware of his reputation and real-life abilities sometime in the late 1970s.

A little-known fact: Gene LeBell easily choked out Chuck Norris, Robert Wall, and Richard Norton, one after the other, during a single training session. IIRC, Richard Norton, a legendary Australian martial artist and former celebrity bodyguard, actually passed out from pain at LeBell's hands. LeBell also taught grappling to undefeated kickboxer Benny "the Jet" Urquidez, helped coach former UFC fighter Ronda Rousey, and others. Gene LeBell reputedly choked out Steven Seagal on a movie set, during which Seagal supposedly (and infamously) pooped his pants. As mentioned, many people knew the name of Gene LeBell in the martial arts, even if he wasn't necessarily a household name like Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damne, etc. Gene LeBell was one of the LAST men i know of that I would have wanted to fight for real. He rocked a pink Judo gi, but don't let that fool you.

I've mentioned him in some posts in this thread, including a video of him in the first televised "MMA" bout in 1963 against pro boxer Milo Savage, in a Judo vs boxing matchup. LeBell won by choking him out.

Jim
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#930

Post by twinboysdad »

James Y wrote:
Sat Aug 27, 2022 7:32 pm
VooDooChild wrote:
Sat Aug 27, 2022 7:04 pm
Just found out about Gene Lebell.
That guy was one of the best martial artist that a lot of people never heard of.

I like that he was about the only person on the planet who could say hes thrown Bruce Lee around.

Thanks for posting about that.

Gene LeBell was a legend in the martial arts world and the pro wrestling world. But like many of the old-school "show" wrestlers, LeBell had very real fighting ability. He understood both show business fighting AND real fighting. I first heard of him back in 1972, not as a martial artist, but as a pro wrestling announcer who interviewed wrestlers in the weekly TV wrestling shows from L.A.'s Olympic Auditorium. Even back then, the other announcers called him "Judo" Gene LeBell. He was also a stuntman in countless movies and TV shows for decades. I only started becoming aware of his reputation and real-life abilities sometime in the late 1970s.

A little-known fact: Gene LeBell easily choked out Chuck Norris, Robert Wall, and Richard Norton, one after the other, during a single training session. IIRC, Richard Norton, a legendary Australian martial artist and former celebrity bodyguard, actually passed out from pain at LeBell's hands. LeBell also taught grappling to undefeated kickboxer Benny "the Jet" Urquidez, helped coach former UFC fighter Ronda Rousey, and others. Gene LeBell reputedly choked out Steven Seagal on a movie set, during which Seagal supposedly (and infamously) pooped his pants. As mentioned, many people knew the name of Gene LeBell in the martial arts, even if he wasn't necessarily a household name like Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damne, etc. Gene LeBell was one of the LAST men i know of that I would have wanted to fight for real. He rocked a pink Judo gi, but don't let that fool you.

I've mentioned him in some posts in this thread, including a video of him in the first televised "MMA" bout in 1963 against pro boxer Milo Savage, in a Judo vs boxing matchup. LeBell won by choking him out.

Jim
It was reported his workout consisted of throwing a car tire in every conceivable way. I started taking an outdoor 10 lb med ball and trying to emulate that for a while.
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#931

Post by James Y »

twinboysdad wrote:
Sun Aug 28, 2022 1:30 pm
James Y wrote:
Sat Aug 27, 2022 7:32 pm
VooDooChild wrote:
Sat Aug 27, 2022 7:04 pm
Just found out about Gene Lebell.
That guy was one of the best martial artist that a lot of people never heard of.

I like that he was about the only person on the planet who could say hes thrown Bruce Lee around.

Thanks for posting about that.

Gene LeBell was a legend in the martial arts world and the pro wrestling world. But like many of the old-school "show" wrestlers, LeBell had very real fighting ability. He understood both show business fighting AND real fighting. I first heard of him back in 1972, not as a martial artist, but as a pro wrestling announcer who interviewed wrestlers in the weekly TV wrestling shows from L.A.'s Olympic Auditorium. Even back then, the other announcers called him "Judo" Gene LeBell. He was also a stuntman in countless movies and TV shows for decades. I only started becoming aware of his reputation and real-life abilities sometime in the late 1970s.

A little-known fact: Gene LeBell easily choked out Chuck Norris, Robert Wall, and Richard Norton, one after the other, during a single training session. IIRC, Richard Norton, a legendary Australian martial artist and former celebrity bodyguard, actually passed out from pain at LeBell's hands. LeBell also taught grappling to undefeated kickboxer Benny "the Jet" Urquidez, helped coach former UFC fighter Ronda Rousey, and others. Gene LeBell reputedly choked out Steven Seagal on a movie set, during which Seagal supposedly (and infamously) pooped his pants. As mentioned, many people knew the name of Gene LeBell in the martial arts, even if he wasn't necessarily a household name like Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damne, etc. Gene LeBell was one of the LAST men i know of that I would have wanted to fight for real. He rocked a pink Judo gi, but don't let that fool you.

I've mentioned him in some posts in this thread, including a video of him in the first televised "MMA" bout in 1963 against pro boxer Milo Savage, in a Judo vs boxing matchup. LeBell won by choking him out.

Jim
It was reported his workout consisted of throwing a car tire in every conceivable way. I started taking an outdoor 10 lb med ball and trying to emulate that for a while.

I've seen video of Russian Sambo guys throwing heavy bags around. Seems like such training would certainly work as a supplement to partner practice in developing core strength. I think now there are actual grappling dummies, with head and limbs. Not certain how much that would help with grappling, but I could see it as an aid to throwing, ground and pound, etc., depending on its weight.

Jim
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#932

Post by twinboysdad »

James Y wrote:
Mon Aug 29, 2022 5:25 pm
twinboysdad wrote:
Sun Aug 28, 2022 1:30 pm
James Y wrote:
Sat Aug 27, 2022 7:32 pm
VooDooChild wrote:
Sat Aug 27, 2022 7:04 pm
Just found out about Gene Lebell.
That guy was one of the best martial artist that a lot of people never heard of.

I like that he was about the only person on the planet who could say hes thrown Bruce Lee around.

Thanks for posting about that.

Gene LeBell was a legend in the martial arts world and the pro wrestling world. But like many of the old-school "show" wrestlers, LeBell had very real fighting ability. He understood both show business fighting AND real fighting. I first heard of him back in 1972, not as a martial artist, but as a pro wrestling announcer who interviewed wrestlers in the weekly TV wrestling shows from L.A.'s Olympic Auditorium. Even back then, the other announcers called him "Judo" Gene LeBell. He was also a stuntman in countless movies and TV shows for decades. I only started becoming aware of his reputation and real-life abilities sometime in the late 1970s.

A little-known fact: Gene LeBell easily choked out Chuck Norris, Robert Wall, and Richard Norton, one after the other, during a single training session. IIRC, Richard Norton, a legendary Australian martial artist and former celebrity bodyguard, actually passed out from pain at LeBell's hands. LeBell also taught grappling to undefeated kickboxer Benny "the Jet" Urquidez, helped coach former UFC fighter Ronda Rousey, and others. Gene LeBell reputedly choked out Steven Seagal on a movie set, during which Seagal supposedly (and infamously) pooped his pants. As mentioned, many people knew the name of Gene LeBell in the martial arts, even if he wasn't necessarily a household name like Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damne, etc. Gene LeBell was one of the LAST men i know of that I would have wanted to fight for real. He rocked a pink Judo gi, but don't let that fool you.

I've mentioned him in some posts in this thread, including a video of him in the first televised "MMA" bout in 1963 against pro boxer Milo Savage, in a Judo vs boxing matchup. LeBell won by choking him out.

Jim
It was reported his workout consisted of throwing a car tire in every conceivable way. I started taking an outdoor 10 lb med ball and trying to emulate that for a while.

I've seen video of Russian Sambo guys throwing heavy bags around. Seems like such training would certainly work as a supplement to partner practice in developing core strength. I think now there are actual grappling dummies, with head and limbs. Not certain how much that would help with grappling, but I could see it as an aid to throwing, ground and pound, etc., depending on its weight.

Jim
One of my sons is a year round wrestler. The finest wrestling dummies are made by Suples and are quite expensive. The one thing they don’t replicate is the “live” feeling of resistance to being moved such as the par terre position in Greco and Freestyle. The two implements that mimic that the best are sandbags and slosh pipes. His club has a 100 lb slam ball filled with sand loosely that feels like moving a dead body. I would wager that picking it up strongman style from the floor is equal to deadlifting 185 lbs on a bar! The slosh pipes are 10’ length of PVC at 6” diameter filled 2/3 up with water. It moves like an eel when you attempt to control it
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#933

Post by James Y »

twinboysdad wrote:
Tue Aug 30, 2022 5:51 am
James Y wrote:
Mon Aug 29, 2022 5:25 pm
twinboysdad wrote:
Sun Aug 28, 2022 1:30 pm
James Y wrote:
Sat Aug 27, 2022 7:32 pm



Thanks for posting about that.

Gene LeBell was a legend in the martial arts world and the pro wrestling world. But like many of the old-school "show" wrestlers, LeBell had very real fighting ability. He understood both show business fighting AND real fighting. I first heard of him back in 1972, not as a martial artist, but as a pro wrestling announcer who interviewed wrestlers in the weekly TV wrestling shows from L.A.'s Olympic Auditorium. Even back then, the other announcers called him "Judo" Gene LeBell. He was also a stuntman in countless movies and TV shows for decades. I only started becoming aware of his reputation and real-life abilities sometime in the late 1970s.

A little-known fact: Gene LeBell easily choked out Chuck Norris, Robert Wall, and Richard Norton, one after the other, during a single training session. IIRC, Richard Norton, a legendary Australian martial artist and former celebrity bodyguard, actually passed out from pain at LeBell's hands. LeBell also taught grappling to undefeated kickboxer Benny "the Jet" Urquidez, helped coach former UFC fighter Ronda Rousey, and others. Gene LeBell reputedly choked out Steven Seagal on a movie set, during which Seagal supposedly (and infamously) pooped his pants. As mentioned, many people knew the name of Gene LeBell in the martial arts, even if he wasn't necessarily a household name like Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damne, etc. Gene LeBell was one of the LAST men i know of that I would have wanted to fight for real. He rocked a pink Judo gi, but don't let that fool you.

I've mentioned him in some posts in this thread, including a video of him in the first televised "MMA" bout in 1963 against pro boxer Milo Savage, in a Judo vs boxing matchup. LeBell won by choking him out.

Jim
It was reported his workout consisted of throwing a car tire in every conceivable way. I started taking an outdoor 10 lb med ball and trying to emulate that for a while.

I've seen video of Russian Sambo guys throwing heavy bags around. Seems like such training would certainly work as a supplement to partner practice in developing core strength. I think now there are actual grappling dummies, with head and limbs. Not certain how much that would help with grappling, but I could see it as an aid to throwing, ground and pound, etc., depending on its weight.

Jim
One of my sons is a year round wrestler. The finest wrestling dummies are made by Suples and are quite expensive. The one thing they don’t replicate is the “live” feeling of resistance to being moved such as the par terre position in Greco and Freestyle. The two implements that mimic that the best are sandbags and slosh pipes. His club has a 100 lb slam ball filled with sand loosely that feels like moving a dead body. I would wager that picking it up strongman style from the floor is equal to deadlifting 185 lbs on a bar! The slosh pipes are 10’ length of PVC at 6” diameter filled 2/3 up with water. It moves like an eel when you attempt to control it

Thanks! I hadn't known about that. Very cool!

Jim
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#934

Post by twinboysdad »

https://breakingmuscle.com/an-odd-imple ... losh-pipe/

Slosh pipe homemade tutorial. And 4” diameter not 6” as I earlier stated
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#935

Post by James Y »

twinboysdad wrote:
Tue Aug 30, 2022 12:05 pm
https://breakingmuscle.com/an-odd-imple ... losh-pipe/

Slosh pipe homemade tutorial. And 4” diameter not 6” as I earlier stated

Many thanks, twinboysdad!

Jim
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#936

Post by James Y »

'Best Place to Look When Bad Guys Make Eye Contact With You'

I never used to look my opponents (in sparring, in competition, or in the street encounters I've had) directly in the eyes. I tended to keep a soft (not overly focused) gaze that included their face and shoulders/collarbone areas, forming a rough triangle. If they were a lot taller than me, I soft gazed at their throat or upper chest, which gives the same peripheral triangular perspective.

And unlike some of the old photos of me demonstrating kicks that I shared earlier in this thread, when actually sparring or fighting, I naturally kept a blank facial expression. The facial expressions in those old pics were for dramatic effect for the photos, and sometimes when giving forms demos. In actual sparring or fighting, facial expressions are a dead giveaway; of your intentions, or if you're hurt, tired, etc.

https://youtu.be/VqQ23WEqPsM

Jim
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#937

Post by twinboysdad »

https://youtu.be/eKApnjhax_k

Pat Mac has a good philosophy on street fighting- jab cross and front kick. 3 moves that he has used to great effect.
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#938

Post by James Y »

twinboysdad wrote:
Tue Sep 06, 2022 5:40 pm
https://youtu.be/eKApnjhax_k

Pat Mac has a good philosophy on street fighting- jab cross and front kick. 3 moves that he has used to great effect.

Thanks! Good video. He's right, that many people view self-defense through the lens of 'styles' or 'systems'. It makes the person a slave to specific 'styles' in how they perceive they can react, and what can and can't work.

I also agree about sparring boxers. But I don't know about an average person, ot any non-boxer, going to a boxing gym. I would imagine that, unless you really know the owner, most real boxing gyms probably won't want to waste time working with someone who isn't actually one of their boxers (amateur or pro). I could be wrong, though.

The experiences I had sparring boxers was with a couple different boxers who came and trained at our Kenpo school back in the day. They were actually ex-boxers, one a former pro, and the other a former Golden Gloves boxer. In terms of striking, they were the hardest to deal with I've ever sparred with. Better even than the kickboxers. I learned a lot about defense from them.

IMO, if someone is only planning to join a boxing gym to get some experience, they shouldn't do it for very long. Even former amateur boxers who never turned pro have been known to show some signs of CTE. Yes, even adults who only played football in high school.

And trying out boxing is not for everybody. What about the middle-aged or elderly person, or small-framed man or woman, or the person with a physical handicap, who needs to learn about physical, last-ditch self-defense, and may need it MORE THAN the strong, fit, athletic 20 or 30-something dudes from military or MMA backgrounds, like a lot of the trainees in the videos look to be. That's one of the issues I have with almost ALL of the videos on SD that I see being put out; even ones that I've posted here.

When I used to teach, one of my students was a skinny, 50-something woman who was never athletic, had some physical health issues, and wasn't a fighter. But she wanted to learn something about SD. I had to meet her at her level, not try to force her to meet me at my level, which she couldn't have, anyway. If I had taught her a jab/cross and maybe a kick, guaranteed it wouldn't have worked for her against anyone, except maybe a small child. Or even the simple right cross or right hook to the chin or jawline, with which Geoff Thompson won literally hundreds of real-life bar and street fights with one-punch KOs. She'd have broken her hand, IF she even threw a punch and made contact at all in the first place. There is no one-size-fits-all in last-resort SD. But it does need to be simple and natural, and something the individual can actually do.

Jim
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#939

Post by twinboysdad »

James Y wrote:
Wed Sep 07, 2022 1:43 pm
twinboysdad wrote:
Tue Sep 06, 2022 5:40 pm
https://youtu.be/eKApnjhax_k

Pat Mac has a good philosophy on street fighting- jab cross and front kick. 3 moves that he has used to great effect.

Thanks! Good video. He's right, that many people view self-defense through the lens of 'styles' or 'systems'. It makes the person a slave to specific 'styles' in how they perceive they can react, and what can and can't work.

I also agree about sparring boxers. But I don't know about an average person, ot any non-boxer, going to a boxing gym. I would imagine that, unless you really know the owner, most real boxing gyms probably won't want to waste time working with someone who isn't actually one of their boxers (amateur or pro). I could be wrong, though.

The experiences I had sparring boxers was with a couple different boxers who came and trained at our Kenpo school back in the day. They were actually ex-boxers, one a former pro, and the other a former Golden Gloves boxer. In terms of striking, they were the hardest to deal with I've ever sparred with. Better even than the kickboxers. I learned a lot about defense from them.

IMO, if someone is only planning to join a boxing gym to get some experience, they shouldn't do it for very long. Even former amateur boxers who never turned pro have been known to show some signs of CTE. Yes, even adults who only played football in high school.

And trying out boxing is not for everybody. What about the middle-aged or elderly person, or small-framed man or woman, or the person with a physical handicap, who needs to learn about physical, last-ditch self-defense, and may need it MORE THAN the strong, fit, athletic 20 or 30-something dudes from military or MMA backgrounds, like a lot of the trainees in the videos look to be. That's one of the issues I have with almost ALL of the videos on SD that I see being put out; even ones that I've posted here.

When I used to teach, one of my students was a skinny, 50-something woman who was never athletic, had some physical health issues, and wasn't a fighter. But she wanted to learn something about SD. I had to meet her at her level, not try to force her to meet me at my level, which she couldn't have, anyway. If I had taught her a jab/cross and maybe a kick, guaranteed it wouldn't have worked for her against anyone, except maybe a small child. Or even the simple right cross or right hook to the chin or jawline, with which Geoff Thompson won literally hundreds of real-life bar and street fights with one-punch KOs. She'd have broken her hand, IF she even threw a punch and made contact at all in the first place. There is no one-size-fits-all in last-resort SD. But it does need to be simple and natural, and something the individual can actually do.

Jim
Dying to know- what did you teach her?
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Re: Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

#940

Post by James Y »

twinboysdad wrote:
Wed Sep 07, 2022 4:23 pm
Dying to know- what did you teach her?
Palm heel thrust to either under the chin or into the nose, which can become tiger claw to face/eyes. Oblique/cross kick to shin or knee. Edge of hand thrust to throat.

Of course, she learned the art I was teaching, which improved her balance and coordination. But those simple things were what I mainly had her drill in terms of offense, because she could physically accomplish them in-close, without needing the ability to generate big power. In addition to lateral/pivoting footwork, and some general defensive stuff dealing with controlled aggression scenarios.

Would those things have worked for her? I honestly don't know. And there's never a guarantee that anything will work for anybody in a given situation. Sadly, she passed away some 15 years ago from cancer. But she did report that during their time with us (her husband had joined along with her), their balance, coordination, and even to a degree their self-confidence, had improved, they had made some new friends, and she had felt better physically.

At least in the controlled pressure scenarios, she was able to do them. I had to be very careful, and could NOT apply the same stresses to her as to others, so the stress training was 'gentle' in comparison to most. That's why I say that teaching is a HUGE responsibility, and tailoring the training to her while keeping it safe was most definitely a CHALLENGE. But at least I was happy that they had been happy, until her health issues made them unable to continue.

Jim
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