Spyderco Forums

JBoone wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 27, 2025 5:45 pm

James -
Stop kick was referred to as dragon kick where I trained. Agree is dangerously effective.
Trained from 89-96 in knung fu and Arnis.

My daughter who is soon to be 16 started BJJ for almost a year but joined the HS wrestling team and now focuses on that.
Was not aware that wrestling teams in HS had females but apparently has become quite popular now with many schools having 6-8 young ladies. They only compete with other females.

Thank you for sharing your experiences, JBoone.

I have heard of girls in HS wrestling teams. Many are very good at it. Some have had to compete against boys in some locations (as seen in some YT videos), which is inappropriate, IMO.

Jim

"These Martial Artists P!ss Me Off"



I'm in full agreement with her. Although I will say, I don't think it's social media bullying that discourages people from taking up martial arts (and I'm NOT including the martial arts that make up MMA in this discussion, because they seem to be almost immune from that).

IMO, society has changed, and for the most part, martial arts like the various systems of Karate, Taekwondo, even some Kung Fu, etc., are now marketed as a family or kids' activity. Back before the '90s, martial arts (at least in the places I trained at) was aimed at serious adults; the training and standards of quality were much stricter, and the training itself was very hard core. With some exceptions (for example, Kyokushinkai Karate, Muay Thai, etc.), that is no longer the case with younger generations today.

To put it simply: It's a different generation, and there are far more things that draw people's interest and attention now than there were back then. There is far less general interest in the martial arts today, especially among young adults. With the exception of MMA, and the arts of BJJ, MMA's version of Muay Thai, etc. And even those may have already reached and passed their peak of popularity.

Jim

Martial Artist Reacts: Slap & Kick Man - KO on UK Streets



I used to want to visit the UK someday. My older brother and his wife had visited there many years ago, and they had a great time. That was many years ago.

In more recent years, I've been hearing that the UK doesn't even seem like the UK anymore, because of political reasons I'm NOT going to get into here, and that many areas are now overrun and have become like third world countries. A friend from the Netherlands told me similar things about areas in her country. So I'm no longer planning to visit the UK, or any of the other European countries that I had once been interested in someday visiting. It kinda sucks that I won't ever get to visit Europe, but I guess it'll save me the money.

Jim

James Y wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 31, 2025 9:22 am

Martial Artist Reacts: Slap & Kick Man - KO on UK Streets



I used to want to visit the UK someday. My older brother and his wife had visited there many years ago, and they had a great time. That was many years ago.

In more recent years, I've been hearing that the UK doesn't even seem like the UK anymore, because of political reasons I'm NOT going to get into here, and that many areas are now overrun and have become like third world countries. A friend from the Netherlands told me similar things about areas in her country. So I'm no longer planning to visit the UK, or any of the other European countries that I had once been interested in someday visiting. It kinda sucks that I won't ever get to visit Europe, but I guess it'll save me the money.

Jim

I agree 100% with what you said James.

Just found this, status and fighting

Iole wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 31, 2025 10:57 am

Just found this, status and fighting

Thanks for sharing!

Jim

Jimmy Smith on the Fight Legend's Downward Spiral: BJ Penn



Jim

Large Bully Picks on Smaller Man, One Punch Knockout



I'm not sure if the larger man is actually a bully or not; looking at his shirt, could he be some kind of security guard(?). Anyway, the key here is that a smaller man KO'd a much larger man with one punch. In other words, DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ANYONE. The smaller man clearly looks to have had at least some boxing experience.

I'm 100% certain that if Michael Jai White were to see only the first couple seconds of this video, he would say there is no way that the smaller man could ever possibly come out the winner. If you've seen any Michael Jai White videos, he always says that a smaller man will NEVER beat a larger man in a fight. For whatever reason, MJW seems fixated on physical size. I've seen smaller men absolutely demolish larger men in street fights. I've done it before myself, and I'm not some bad@$$. The fact is, it DOES happen, whether by fair means or foul. There are no size or weight categories, nor any rules of fair play, on the street.

Jim

Brain Degradation of a Pro MMA Fighter Over Time



There are examples out there who are a lot worse than Nam Phan.

Jim

Joe Rogan on CTE & Contact Sports



Jim

"Did People Use Palm Strikes in Early Boxing?"



Jim

Current Threat Relating to Civilian Self-Protection



Jim

James Y wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 04, 2025 5:06 pm

Current Threat Relating to Civilian Self-Protection



Jim

I saved the video. Groundbreaking that in the UK, a lead proponent of unarmed combatives says to get armed!

Lee Morrison finally says the quiet part out loud. >> GET EDGED WEAPON TRAINING!

When I got access to the DARPA Net in the early 90's, I looked for as many martial arts as I could find and I started to rank them.

Least deadly -> Most deadly

Practitioners must be able bodied - > Practitioners can be old and feeble


I decided right then and there to go learn some edged weapons arts.

Naperville wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 04, 2025 7:07 pm

James Y wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 04, 2025 5:06 pm

Current Threat Relating to Civilian Self-Protection



Jim

I saved the video. Groundbreaking that in the UK, a lead proponent of unarmed combatives says to get armed!

Lee Morrison finally says the quiet part out loud. >> GET EDGED WEAPON TRAINING!

When I got access to the DARPA Net in the early 90's, I looked for as many martial arts as I could find and I started to rank them.

Least deadly -> Most deadly

Practitioners must be able bodied - > Practitioners can be old and feeble


I decided right then and there to go learn some edged weapons arts.

Thanks for sharing, Thomas.

Not only edged weapons, but any type of object, including objects that aren't purposely designed as weapons but can be used as such in a pinch, so you can be potentially armed even where you cannot legally be armed. And train with said objects.

Jim

Using a Non-Violent Posture



Jim

Pocket Knife for Self-Defense



OK, I don't know who he is; he may very well have qualifications and be very capable. But he comes across as one of those smug guys that think a gun is the only method to defend yourself. Like a man who thinks a hammer is the only tool you'll ever need.

There's no guarantee that ANYTHING you use or do in self-defense is going to stop someone immediately. Of course, a gun would be best in an ideal world. But every situation is not the same. And a gun isn't always appropriate either, depending on the situation.

Another weird thing that people online (including someone in this video's comments) say is, "A knife is an ineffective self-defense weapon; it's only effective for attacking someone."

Does that even make sense? So a knife will effectively cut a victim, but it won't effectively cut a bad guy? Make it make sense. Some people's logic is mind-boggling. It's clear that a LOT of people are mindlessly parroting the same words and phrases they've seen posted by other people on internet forums, because they repeat them across different platforms, virtually word for word.

I know of SEVERAL real-life instances where aggressors / attackers were killed in self-defense by people whose only equalizer was a folding pocket knife. And the people who successfully defended themselves with those knives were not even trained knife fighters or combatives experts.

Jim

Chris Weidman Breaks His Leg in Half

Warning: Contains graphic footage of a lower leg injury.



This is only one of several examples I've seen of MMA fighters breaking their own shins from throwing Muay Thai leg kicks. Does it happen among actual traditional Muay Thai fighters? I don't know; maybe. Probably. But I have only seen it happen to many MMA fighters.

Perhaps your typical MMA fighters don't condition their legs / shins to the same degree, and from as young an age, as the traditional MT fighters do. Maybe that's one of the differences between fully concentrating on one combat sport, and incorporating certain parts of that sport into another sport, without the full dedication to developing that aspect.

This is one reason, but not the only reason, that roundhouse kicks to the legs were never a part of my arsenal. Especially for actual self-defense. They are very practical for well-trained Muay Thai and Kyokushin Karate fighters; but to merely take and incorporate them as part of an all-around toolbox without the requisite level of proper (and constant) conditioning of the shins is a huge risk, IMO. I'm not saying not to use them; I'm simply saying why they were never a part of my toolbox. Sometimes you see guys with little or no training throwing Muay Thai-type round kicks to someone's leg, because they've seen it done while watching MMA / UFC fights.

Jim