Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

[James Y]

S. Carman: The " Untrained" Myth

I always differentiate between people who were untrained (no martial arts or contact sports training, or without any fighting experience at all); and those who *maybe* hadn't had any FORMAL martial arts training, but who are highly experienced and skilled at applying effective mental and physical strategies, and at applying a set of effective fighting and ambushing skills, in real-life situations. Whether we like it or not, many, or even most hardened, predatory criminals, fit into the latter category. And even a good percentage of those HAVE had at least some formal martial arts or combat sports training in their backgrounds. They are usually more effective at applying their skills on the streets for real (outside of the training hall, or the ring, or off the mat) than your typical black belt martial artist or sport fighter. Because if they are experienced at it, they have done it MANY times before.

In my lifetime, I've known a couple of men who came from such backgrounds. They had never had any formal martial arts training, but each was a dangerous force in a real fight, if/when they needed to be. I considered them to be *at least* the equal of any of the highest-ranking martial arts masters with real fighting experience that I've ever seen or met. Maybe not in a ring, but in terms of being able to effectively handle themselves on the street.

That is why I always repeat, ad nauseum throughout this thread, Never Underestimate Anyone. To that we can also add, Always Expect the Unexpected.

https://youtu.be/sLYLhFNsf9E

Jim

[James Y]

Karate: The Real Truth Gets Told

*Video below.

Lots of gems being shared in the video.

In the 1970s, Japanese Karate was indeed taught the way he describes. I'm far away from the northeastern US, but when I studied Shito-ryu Karate (which is very similar to Shotokan), the sparring was pretty much the same as Carman describes ghetto and UK Karate; full contact to the body and pulled contact to the head. Which sounds easy, but it was not. We wore thin cloth knuckle pads, which provided more of an illusion of protection than actual protection. Sparring was very rough. Our Japanese sensei wouldn't accept anything less.

The dojo wasn't in the ghetto, but the training was like it was in Japan at the time; hardcore. It was not unusual for people to get hurt during sparring. And you were NOT matched up by size and weight. You sparred with whoever you were paired up with. As a skinny teen, I fought large adult men of advanced rank who hit me as hard as they hit men of their own size and rank. You either learned to toughen up and give back as good as you got, or you got steamrolled. Back then, kids were not as protected and coddled in the martial arts like they are nowadays.

I also trained in American Kenpo, where we used boxing gloves, and occasionally even wore sneakers during sparring. I trained at the Shito-ryu dojo in the late afternoons, then went to the Kenpo school right after, in the evenings. The Kenpo sparring was much more kickboxing, including groin shots, takedowns, etc. We also cross-trained and sparred with boxers, pro kickboxers, etc. The Kenpo sparring was also tough. So I got the best of both worlds, in terms of "traditional" and "modern" training.

The Karate sparring seen in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (which was actually held in 2021) looked like powderpuff sparring. Nothing at all like the Karate sparring as I experienced it in the '70s and early '80s.


I emphasize this because, nowadays, people think Karate is a joke, equating it with the current trend of kiddie Karate/kiddie Tae Kwon Do, or gymnastics-based performance "Karate," which are nothing like martial arts were taught decades ago. This low opinion of Karate and other martial arts in general is especially prevalent among younger adults, who were born long after most martial arts in the US became watered down for children, as well as for adults who wouldn't be willing or able to handle the hard-core training of the past.

Nowadays, Kyokushin Karate and its offshoots are still very much hardcore.

Carman talks about Terry O'Neill, who is a martial arts and fighting legend in the UK. I'd heard about Terry O'Neill way back in the '70s.

The hammer fist is a Karate technique, but it did not originate in Japanese or Okinawan Karate. It's a common technique in many traditional Chinese martial arts, which predate, and are the precursor of, modern Karate.

https://youtu.be/Miuka9wdC_g

Jim

[James Y]

Choy Li Fut vs Muay Thai: Which Style Has the Upper Hand?

(Video below)

Choy Li Fut is the same art as Choy Lee Fut and Choy Lay Fut, only the English spelling is different. I prefer to spell it Choy Lee Fut. The "Fut" does not rhyme with "boot," it rhymes with "cut." I consider it my main style.

I give credit to this guy for respecting CLF and actually including it in one of his vids. However, his understanding and experience of CLF is VERY superficial.

Not every CLF guy fights the same. I know I don't just rush at an opponent with big arm swings. Many CLF guys do, but not me. In sparring, I work my way inside. And for myself, only when I'm either in close, or on the inside, do I apply the circular strikes. Believe it or not, they are much harder to avoid or defend against when applied in close.

Also, CLF DOES shorten the movements. Outsiders (non-CLF practitioners), as well as many practitioners themselves, don't know that. The long, fully-extended movements are mostly for TRAINING PURPOSES, in order to develop full range of motion and "long" power. Once you've mastered the basics, you can do the same movements shortened up considerably, without any loss of power. The ability to do that or not is a good indicator of whether a practitioner is truly advanced or not.

Of course, there are different CLF lineages, and the lineage I learned and practiced under my Sifu for 11 years could have been unique in that regard.

I also originally came from a background of Judo, Karate (Kenpo and Shito-ryu), kickboxing, and Tanglang Quan (Northern Praying Mantis style). So I instinctively knew what would make me too open in a match or a fight. My CLF Sifu's movements were always shortened in actual sparring and fighting. He was always extremely difficult to hit, and his strikes were difficult to defend against. And his redirections and shortened strikes were always extremely powerful, and still are today, at age 80.

People watch a CLF form or technique demonstration and judge it as easy to defend against, which, if the CLF man knows how to fight, is a serious underestimation. What you see in a form, or in a public CLF demonstration, can differ from the way the same techniques can look when they are actually being applied against non-cooperative opponents. In the first instance, the style is being showcased for an audience; in the second, it is being applied for maximum effect, and NOT for developing maximum range of motion, or for aesthetics. A knowledgeable practitioner can still spot the techniques for what they are when they see them being applied.

Back in the 1970s, my CLF Sifu had two students who were among the local martial artists who accepted a challenge by a team of professional Muay Thai fighters from Thailand, who had come to Los Angeles to challenge local American martial artists to public matches. The lightweight Filipino CLF student KO'd his Muay Thai opponent with a CLF Pau Jong (uppercut) while in the Muay Thai clinch. The heavyweight CLF student lasted one round, but wasn't in good enough condition to answer the bell for the second round. IIRC, my Sifu's Filipino student was the only one of the Los Angeles-area martial artists who answered the challenge, that beat his Thai opponent.

This July will be the 30th anniversary since I started practicing CLF. What I do nowadays is more or less the best of what's worked for me over the decades, from whichever arts I trained in, then modified to suit myself. I've always incorporated certain things that worked before into every art I studied. So although I could spar like a 100% CLF stylist if I wanted to, the way I train it now is highly personalized. Which in the past, has thrown martial arts guys, including other CLF practitioners, off their game in sparring.

As for the title of which art has the upper hand, CLF or Muay Thai? It's a dumb question for click bait. Better for who? Better for what? There are no arts that are superior, only superior practitioners. AND it all depends on the situation and the individuals involved

https://youtu.be/myZ4hjRFszI

Jim

[James Y]

"I Am Not Interested in 'Fighting!'"

What Sayf Carman says in this video is so true. He speaks truths that many people don't want to hear.

Too many martial arts people are emotionally invested and indoctrinated into their art(s), stuck in the mindset that their art/style is the only way, and refuse to see the greater reality that lies beyond formal training and "styles." Then they only seek out confirmation bias to reinforce their own beliefs.

I've watched several of Carman's videos. Do I necessarily agree with everything he says? Not necessarily. But I haven't seen any of his videos where he's been untruthful. He speaks real truths; truths that most people will either "not get," or willfully ignore. Especially the truth bombs he's dropping in this video. Most martial artists and sport fighters won't want to listen. But you will never learn anything unless you really *listen* to someone who is outside of your normal, habitual comfort zone, who has had real experience, and truly digest the message that they are sharing. I agree 100% with everything he says here.

In my admittedly limited personal experience in both street fights and actual self-defense situations, I can confidently say that dojo/gym training and sparring, competitive sport fighting, and even mutually willing, ego-based street fights, are very different from genuine, last-ditch self-defense that involves having to fight to survive.

I only share my opinions on martial arts and related things in this thread, and sometimes a tiny bit elsewhere. Otherwise, I allow people to believe whatever they want to believe. As it is, I already 'talk' too much in this thread. IRL, I won't argue over martial arts, in the same way that I won't argue over religion or politics. Because the mindset that most people have around all of these subjects is exactly the same.

https://youtu.be/RJSYipY_Fj4

Jim

[James Y]

The "Traditional" Link to Combatives

If it seems like I've been posting a lot of Sayf Carman's videos lately, it's because I have been. I'm very picky about whose (and which) videos I post, and he has some great videos.

I will say that I've known a few (very few) practitioners of Hung Gar Kung Fu who were hardcore, and they did not spar the way that Sayf Carman describes he saw in a YouTube video on Hung Gar sparring. A legitimate old-school, hardcore Hung Gar practitioner, who has had real fighting experience, is not a joke in any way, shape, or form.

You cannot judge an entire art's sparring methods or its practitioners based on seeing a single video, or on the quality of any video, for that matter. Mr. Carman is a big advocate of traditional Japanese Shotokan Karate, but I've seen some pretty cringe (as well as excellent) videos of Shotokan. The best I've ever seen or experienced of any art came not from watching videos, but through hands-on experience, or in sparring exchanges with practitioners of a certain art(s). Even then, if you've never faced someone who is at a high level in actually applying that method, your opinion of said art will be skewed.

https://youtu.be/LVJTXB0DpL8

Jim

[Naperville]

Had I not been watching this thread I never would have tripped over Sayf Carman's videos. YouTube sometimes is just too big to be useful for finding talented people.

I'll bookmark Sayf Carman's YouTube portal. He is well thought out.

I use Twitter on UFC fight nights to find info that helps me locate full fights before they are removed. I know that none of that matters in most street fights, but I still have the looky loos and hate to miss a decent "sports fight." You know how the streets work. There are no rules and they engage you when you least expect it. Most of the time they ambush you or some guy gets his dander up and decides to beat you before you have a clue as to what is coming your way.

I avoid fights and have been in relatively few serious fights. Before the age of 17 I spent all of my time running from thugs, and after 17 learning how to scare or pound sense into thugs. The latter proved to be catastrophic because winners go to court. Now I hide at home to avoid everyone.



Thanks James!

[James Y]

Had I not been watching this thread I never would have tripped over Sayf Carman's videos. YouTube sometimes is just too big to be useful for finding talented people.

I'll bookmark Sayf Carman's YouTube portal. He is well thought out.

I use Twitter on UFC fight nights to find info that helps me locate full fights before they are removed. I know that none of that matters in most street fights, but I still have the looky loos and hate to miss a decent "sports fight." You know how the streets work. There are no rules and they engage you when you least expect it. Most of the time they ambush you or some guy gets his dander up and decides to beat you before you have a clue as to what is coming your way.

I avoid fights and have been in relatively few serious fights. Before the age of 17 I spent all of my time running from thugs, and after 17 learning how to scare or pound sense into thugs. The latter proved to be catastrophic because winners go to court. Now I hide at home to avoid everyone.



Thanks James!

Hey, Naperville! Nothing at all wrong with enjoying MMA. I used to watch it a lot.

The ultimate self-defense is avoidance; simply not being where danger is when it happens. I've had a few real street situations, and luckily only one where my life was in real danger (the attempted kidnapping by Taiwanese gangsters incident that I've posted about before). I wished I had avoided it altogether, but hindsight is 20/20. At least I successfully fought them off and escaped with my life. But my head was on a swivel for weeks afterwards every time I went out (which was all the time).

Jim

[James Y]

Crash Course in Protecting Your Head in the Street

https://youtu.be/L1tbggKizK0

Jim

[James Y]

Bruce Lee Nor Cus D'Amato Would Train You! (The Reality of Great Teachers)

*Video below.

Not a single one of my martial arts teachers had a "bubbly" personality, or acted like they were your buddy. I hadn't even known there was such a thing until I started seeing some of the martial arts YouTube channels. When I went into Judo and later Karate in the '70s, I went in expecting ... knowing ... that it was going to be hard, strict, and no BS. I was closer to some of my teachers than to others, but none of them was your "buddy," nor should they have been. Not my Judo sensei; not my Kenpo Karate sensei; not my Shito-ryu Karate sensei; not my Lung Ying (Dragon Shape) teacher; not my first or second Tanglang Quan (Mantis Fist) teachers in Taiwan; not my Choy Lee Fut sifu; not my BJJ teacher. Or any other teachers I've had.

Back in my early Karate days, I often felt apprehensive when going to Karate class, yet I always knew that I was going there by CHOICE. And I always showed up.

Even Bill "Superfoot" Wallace, under whom I trained in a weeklong kickboxing camp, although he was friendly and had a sense of humor, he was also no-BS when we were training and sparring, and he would ride people hard if he saw they were slacking, or getting tired too fast. He would joke around a bit before, after, and even a little during the training, but he expected your all.

I can see how it's become soft now. The martial arts students of today are not the martial arts students of decades past, and the same with most of the younger martial arts teachers, I suppose. Especially if they want to keep their doors open. Of course, there are always exceptions, but there is no denying the fact that in most martial arts I see now (when I even bother to look), the quality level of the students and the arts have fallen significantly.

My second Mantis teacher in Taiwan, Sifu Peng, was such a natural at martial arts that he couldn't tolerate slow learners. He was very arrogant. And if someone displeased him, he would let it be known. He had zero patience for anyone who couldn't grasp a concept by the first or second time he explained it or showed it. Yet he was a genius at martial arts, and if you were smart enough and had a thick skin, there was gold in his teachings that you could take with you. Several years after I returned home from Taiwan, and after Sifu Peng died in a motorcycle accident, former classmates told me that after I left, Sifu Peng would tell anyone and everyone that I was the best student he ever had. Which was a minor shock to me. When I was training under him, I never heard anything of the sort, other than that he told people I always trained hard.

My Shito-ryu Karate sensei would hit you with an extended knuckle fist on the head, or hit the back of your hand with a bokken (a hard wooden training sword), or kick your leg, or sweep your foot out from under you if you were doing something wrong. He even called non-Japanese students "aho" (idiot) without them knowing what it meant, if they kept on repeating mistakes. Yet he was the best traditional Japanese Karate sensei in town, and his dojo was one of the best in the country.

I could go on and on about my other teachers, but the point I'm making is that martial arts teachers aren't supposed to be warm and fuzzy, or a cult of personality, to their students.

I guess I'm glad that I quit teaching 17 years ago. My students' level tended to be way above their ranks, because I overemphasized the basic skills, power generation, constant repetition, and understanding and application of skills. My core group was always small, and whenever most guest martial artists (including one guy who claimed to have been an ex-professional kickboxer) would come by and join the class, they found the training and the contact too hard. Which, in my opinion, wasn't all that hard; I was only teaching it the way I was taught. I imagine I couldn't teach that way at all now.

I would've loved to have sparred Bruce Lee, even though he would've toyed with me, and kicked my @$$. Even if he was only sparring with me for selfish reasons, such as using me as a punch dummy to test out some new technique or concept, at least I could have said that I sparred with Bruce Lee. So what if he was arrogant? TBH, most martial artists are arrogant, to some degree or other.

https://youtu.be/nqHGXYDeaRI

Jim

[Naperville]

Facebook CEO Mark Zukerberg has been training in BJJ. He is fairly well trained and won a small competition recently.

I guess someone on Twitter made a comment about Twitter CEO/Owner Elon Musk and his potential martial arts chops and he responded. For those who have not seen Elon Musk without a shirt, let me just say that he is not in tip top shape.




UPDATE
Apparently this is a thing now and it is all over social media. Will they fight? Musk said that he would fight Zukerberg in Vegas.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/21/2376 ... -worldstar

[James Y]

Facebook CEO Mark Zukerberg has been training in BJJ. He is fairly well trained and won a small competition recently.

I guess someone on Twitter made a comment about Twitter CEO/Owner Elon Musk and his potential martial arts chops and he responded. For those who have not seen Elon Musk without a shirt, let me just say that he is not in tip top shape.




UPDATE
Apparently this is a thing now and it is all over social media. Will they fight? Musk said that he would fight Zukerberg in Vegas.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/21/2376 ... -worldstar

I've been hearing a little about this as well. Seems like more of a curiosity piece than anything. If I had to bet, I'd probably bet on Zuckerberg. Not that I have any investment either way.

Sounds like a modern-day version of celebrity boxing. Anybody remember when Danny Bonaduce beat up Donny Osmond in the ring?

Jim

[James Y]

The Jeet Kune Do Dialogues, Episode #172: Karate Legend Mike Stone

I've posted a couple videos of Mike Stone in the past. He was considered one of the top three legendary American Karate fighters of the 1960s, alongside Joe Lewis and Chuck Norris. Mike Stone and Karate Legend Jim Harrison were two of the men that Bruce Lee was quoted as saying that he wouldn't have wanted to face in an all-out street fight.

I really resonate with Mike Stone's philosophy and way of being, which I find far more fascinating than his martial arts.

https://youtu.be/DpoVL4P3Pz0

Jim

[Naperville]

Facebook CEO Mark Zukerberg has been training in BJJ. He is fairly well trained and won a small competition recently.

I guess someone on Twitter made a comment about Twitter CEO/Owner Elon Musk and his potential martial arts chops and he responded. For those who have not seen Elon Musk without a shirt, let me just say that he is not in tip top shape.




UPDATE
Apparently this is a thing now and it is all over social media. Will they fight? Musk said that he would fight Zukerberg in Vegas.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/21/2376 ... -worldstar

I've been hearing a little about this as well. Seems like more of a curiosity piece than anything. If I had to bet, I'd probably bet on Zuckerberg. Not that I have any investment either way.

Sounds like a modern-day version of celebrity boxing. Anybody remember when Danny Bonaduce beat up Donny Osmond in the ring?

Jim

I think that it would be hilarious. They both have to be careful. They are not UFC trained fighters, but Zukerberg is in very good shape I understand. He is a fitness devotee and does BJJ. Musk said a while back in a Joe Rogan interview that he has some training in martial arts. BJJ has some great attributes as an equalizer and if Zukerberg can get Musk to the ground it should be over quickly. Musk is 4 to 5 inches taller and around 50+ lbs heavier, but on the ground that will not help in the condition that Musk is in.

I missed Donny Osmond in the ring, but here it is on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/REBx-W9M39Q

[James Y]

Facebook CEO Mark Zukerberg has been training in BJJ. He is fairly well trained and won a small competition recently.

I guess someone on Twitter made a comment about Twitter CEO/Owner Elon Musk and his potential martial arts chops and he responded. For those who have not seen Elon Musk without a shirt, let me just say that he is not in tip top shape.




UPDATE
Apparently this is a thing now and it is all over social media. Will they fight? Musk said that he would fight Zukerberg in Vegas.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/21/2376 ... -worldstar

I've been hearing a little about this as well. Seems like more of a curiosity piece than anything. If I had to bet, I'd probably bet on Zuckerberg. Not that I have any investment either way.

Sounds like a modern-day version of celebrity boxing. Anybody remember when Danny Bonaduce beat up Donny Osmond in the ring?

Jim

I think that it would be hilarious. They both have to be careful. They are not UFC trained fighters, but Zukerberg is in very good shape I understand. He is a fitness devotee and does BJJ. Musk said a while back in a Joe Rogan interview that he has some training in martial arts. BJJ has some great attributes as an equalizer and if Zukerberg can get Musk to the ground it should be over quickly. Musk is 4 to 5 inches taller and around 50+ lbs heavier, but on the ground that will not help in the condition that Musk is in.

I missed Donny Osmond in the ring, but here it is on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/REBx-W9M39Q

Elon Musk claims to have practiced Judo, Kyokushin Karate, and Tae Kwon Do as a child, and did a bit of BJJ recently. He's 51 now. So if he wasn't at least training on his own in some form or other, consistently, in the decades between when he was a kid until he trained a bit in BJJ recently, the training he had in those first three MA's is probably not going to be a factor. For all we know, he could have gone 30+ years without training until he did a little BJJ. It sure didn't look like he'd been training all those years. Supposedly, Musk has lost weight since those flabby photos were taken.

Meanwhile, Zuckerberg is 39, is in shape, and at least has been training and competing. I don't know how long he's been training or what his skill level in BJJ is. He could be competing in lower-level divisions. But it sounds like he's getting pretty good at it.

As I always say, "Never Underestimate Anyone." But I would be pretty surprised if Elon Musk could beat Mark Zuckerberg at this point.

It would be entertaining to see them beat the snot out of each other. But if they really did fight, I doubt it would happen that way. The most likely scenario is that Zuckerberg would end it quickly. Either that, or it will be a pretty boring match.

I'd rather see a fight between Zuckerberg and someone like Logan Paul.

Jim

[Naperville]

Facebook CEO Mark Zukerberg has been training in BJJ. He is fairly well trained and won a small competition recently.

I guess someone on Twitter made a comment about Twitter CEO/Owner Elon Musk and his potential martial arts chops and he responded. For those who have not seen Elon Musk without a shirt, let me just say that he is not in tip top shape.




UPDATE
Apparently this is a thing now and it is all over social media. Will they fight? Musk said that he would fight Zukerberg in Vegas.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/21/2376 ... -worldstar

I've been hearing a little about this as well. Seems like more of a curiosity piece than anything. If I had to bet, I'd probably bet on Zuckerberg. Not that I have any investment either way.

Sounds like a modern-day version of celebrity boxing. Anybody remember when Danny Bonaduce beat up Donny Osmond in the ring?

Jim

I think that it would be hilarious. They both have to be careful. They are not UFC trained fighters, but Zukerberg is in very good shape I understand. He is a fitness devotee and does BJJ. Musk said a while back in a Joe Rogan interview that he has some training in martial arts. BJJ has some great attributes as an equalizer and if Zukerberg can get Musk to the ground it should be over quickly. Musk is 4 to 5 inches taller and around 50+ lbs heavier, but on the ground that will not help in the condition that Musk is in.

I missed Donny Osmond in the ring, but here it is on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/REBx-W9M39Q

Elon Musk claims to have practiced Judo, Kyokushin Karate, and Tae Kwon Do as a child, and did a bit of BJJ recently. He's 51 now. So if he wasn't at least training on his own in some form or other, consistently, in the decades between when he was a kid until he trained a bit in BJJ recently, the training he had in those first three MA's is probably not going to be a factor. For all we know, he could have gone 30+ years without training until he did a little BJJ. It sure didn't look like he'd been training all those years. Supposedly, Musk has lost weight since those flabby photos were taken.

Meanwhile, Zuckerberg is 39, is in shape, and at least has been training and competing. I don't know how long he's been training or what his skill level in BJJ is. He could be competing in lower-level divisions. But it sounds like he's getting pretty good at it.

As I always say, "Never Underestimate Anyone." But I would be pretty surprised if Elon Musk could beat Mark Zuckerberg at this point.

It would be entertaining to see them beat the snot out of each other. But if they really did fight, I doubt it would happen that way. The most likely scenario is that Zuckerberg would end it quickly. Either that, or it will be a pretty boring match.

I'd rather see a fight between Zuckerberg and someone like Logan Paul.

Jim

You're right, never underestimate anyone, especially not The Lizard Man from Facebook! But yes, he is in almost tip top shape. His BJJ skills are a little sketchy but he is in very good shape. I think he recently ran 5 miles and did 100's of sit ups, pulls ups, all in under what? Was it 40min or less? Whatever it was he is in shape.

[Doh! Only green icon that I could find....nobody like The Lizard. ]

Logan Paul would probably demolish Zukerberg.

[Naperville]

Let's do this!

https://youtu.be/nuiZ2CNRYMY

[James Y]

Tszyu Family Knuckle Conditioning Used By Three Generations / Nikita Tszyu

*2 videos below.

Nikita Tszyu is a son of former professional boxing champion Kostya Tszyu. I remember back in the '90s, Kostya Tszyu mentioned in an interview that he practiced the Kung Fu Iron Palm training method, which he credited with allowing him to punch with greater power, and without injuring his hands. I remember the obnoxious boxing commentator Larry Merchant smirkingly dismissing Tszyu's practice of "Kung Fu." It turns out that Kostya Tszyu was the smart one, and Larry Merchant was an ignorant loudmouth, who would have whined like a little girl if Kostya Tszyu had so much as slapped him on the shoulder.

This is a traditional practice method of Iron Hand/Iron Fist, including the use of traditional herbal liniment (Dit Da Jow) to aid in recovery, and to enhance bone and tissue density and durability, without losing dexterity.

Nikita carries on the tradition, with his grandfather, below:

https://youtu.be/EVTbyV40Kzk


Kostya Tszyu, Thunder From Down Under / Highlight Reel

https://youtu.be/JAW1nsMSf24

Jim

[James Y]

Sayf Carman: 3 Easy, Solo Defensive Drills

Good stuff. This is one of his older videos, and unfortunately, the lighting is very dim; dimmer than in the thumbnail. Plus, he's wearing dark clothing. But the material he's presenting is excellent.

https://youtu.be/Z6RsgHToIA8

Jim

[James Y]

S. Carman: Everybody is on Drugs!

The subject of pain-resistant attackers definitely IS a subject that few martial arts and/or self-defense instructors ever discuss. But it is a very real thing.

I started becoming aware of this back in the late '70s. Did I learn about it from one of my martial arts instructors? NO. The person who first educated me on this subject was my next-door neighbor at the time, who was a highly experienced, somewhat burly female cop who lived alone. She was the first person who told me about the effects of adrenaline, as well as externally-derived drugs, and how they can make someone impervious to pain, and even the effects of some injuries. She told me stories of things she'd seen on the job, including incidents that she was directly involved in. She was a no-nonsense type, and I felt she had given me a free gift of awareness of a subject that few martial artists and self-defense practitioners think about, talk about, or are even aware of.

https://youtu.be/-ZaAyRybfcs

Jim

[max808]

Karate: The Real Truth Gets Told

*Video below.

Lots of gems being shared in the video.

In the 1970s, Japanese Karate was indeed taught the way he describes. I'm far away from the northeastern US, but when I studied Shito-ryu Karate (which is very similar to Shotokan), the sparring was pretty much the same as Carman describes ghetto and UK Karate; full contact to the body and pulled contact to the head. Which sounds easy, but it was not. We wore thin cloth knuckle pads, which provided more of an illusion of protection than actual protection. Sparring was very rough. Our Japanese sensei wouldn't accept anything less.

The dojo wasn't in the ghetto, but the training was like it was in Japan at the time; hardcore. It was not unusual for people to get hurt during sparring. And you were NOT matched up by size and weight. You sparred with whoever you were paired up with. As a skinny teen, I fought large adult men of advanced rank who hit me as hard as they hit men of their own size and rank. You either learned to toughen up and give back as good as you got, or you got steamrolled. Back then, kids were not as protected and coddled in the martial arts like they are nowadays.

I also trained in American Kenpo, where we used boxing gloves, and occasionally even wore sneakers during sparring. I trained at the Shito-ryu dojo in the late afternoons, then went to the Kenpo school right after, in the evenings. The Kenpo sparring was much more kickboxing, including groin shots, takedowns, etc. We also cross-trained and sparred with boxers, pro kickboxers, etc. The Kenpo sparring was also tough. So I got the best of both worlds, in terms of "traditional" and "modern" training.

The Karate sparring seen in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (which was actually held in 2021) looked like powderpuff sparring. Nothing at all like the Karate sparring as I experienced it in the '70s and early '80s.


I emphasize this because, nowadays, people think Karate is a joke, equating it with the current trend of kiddie Karate/kiddie Tae Kwon Do, or gymnastics-based performance "Karate," which are nothing like martial arts were taught decades ago. This low opinion of Karate and other martial arts in general is especially prevalent among younger adults, who were born long after most martial arts in the US became watered down for children, as well as for adults who wouldn't be willing or able to handle the hard-core training of the past.

Nowadays, Kyokushin Karate and its offshoots are still very much hardcore.

Carman talks about Terry O'Neill, who is a martial arts and fighting legend in the UK. I'd heard about Terry O'Neill way back in the '70s.

The hammer fist is a Karate technique, but it did not originate in Japanese or Okinawan Karate. It's a common technique in many traditional Chinese martial arts, which predate, and are the precursor of, modern Karate.

https://youtu.be/Miuka9wdC_g

Jim

Thanks for sharing Jim, very interesting. From what I understand the lineage goes back from Japan over Okinawa to the original Shaolin Temple in China who according to legend were taught and conditioned by a visiting monk/mystic from India. To your point, if people want proof of how effective karate is in a real fight just type Lyoto Machida in any search engine and admire the Dragon from Brazil in all his UFC glory. His timing and whip on that front kick to the chin is vicious and I've only seen Anderson Silva do the same a couple times in all his years of being a legend, untill he snapped his shin. Lyoto was trained and conditioned in budo and karate by his Japanese father from the age of 5. By the time he entered the Octagon he was a hardbody karate killer. So yes Sir, the old skool method works!

Have a great week Jim,
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